Contact: Sammy McDavid
STARKVILLE, Miss.--A Mississippi State student organization that sponsored two major political debates during the fall semester now is announcing a series of 3rd Congressional District candidate events.
The university's Stennis-Montgomery Association has organized four debates for the nine candidates seeking to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Chip Pickering (R-Miss.).
The public programs will begin Wednesday [Feb. 13] in Summit and conclude March 3 on the MSU campus. The others will take place Feb. 18 in Pearl and Feb. 20 in Meridian.
Mississippi's primary elections for federal offices take place March 11.
Created to encourage student involvement in the political process, the SMA is a memorial to two late MSU alumni who had long and distinguished public service careers, John C. Stennis of DeKalb in the United States Senate and G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery of Meridian in the House of Representatives. Last fall, the organization sponsored a gubernatorial debate that was televised statewide and a second smaller program featuring candidates for the state agriculture and commerce commissioner post.
As in the fall, MSU's Stennis Institute of Government is assisting the student group in organizing the congressional candidate debates. Unlike the fall programs, this latest series will not include reserved seating for candidate supporters or any others.
Doors at all sites open at 6 p.m., with the formal program beginning at 7.
The 3rd District stretches on a generally northeast-to-southwest line from Oktibbeha County--home of MSU--at its northern-most point down to Wilkinson County, which shares its western and southern borders with two Louisiana parishes.
Two Democratic and seven Republican candidates have filed for the 3rd District race. They include Democrats Randy Eads of Starkville and Joel Gill of Pickens. The Republican list includes James Broadwater of Flowood; Gregg Harper of Pearl; Gregory Hatcher and Bill Marcy, both of Meridian; David Landrum and John Rounsaville, both of Madison; and Charlie Ross of Brandon.
Sid Salter, the Clarion-Ledger's Perspective editor, will be debate moderator. Also sharing the stages and providing questions for the candidates will be two local journalists from each of the four geographic regions in which the programs are being held.
Specific locations of the SMA-sponsored debates include:
--Wednesday, Feb. 13, Summit, Southwest Mississippi Community College's Fine Arts Building auditorium (1020 Lakeside Dr.);
--Monday, Feb. 18, Pearl, George Wayne Hall on Hinds Community College's Rankin Campus (3805 U.S. Highway 80 East);
--Wednesday, Feb. 20, Meridian, Kahlmus Auditorium on the MSU-Meridian campus (1000 State Highway 19 North); and
--Monday, March 3, Starkville, MSU's Colvard Student Union ballroom (center of campus).
For additional information on the debates, contact Lydia Quarles, senior Stennis Institute research analyst, or graduate student Joanna M. Frederick at 662-325-3328. Quarles also may be reached at lq1@msstate.edu.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.