Tchula’s Republican Mayor Von Brown, right, is embraced by her father, Bennie Rayford, after Brown announced that she is running for Mississippi’s Second Congressional District seat.
Posted on 02/08/2006 4:29:28 AM PST by MississippiMasterpiece
TCHULA - Tchula Mayor Von Brown has made her candidacy official for Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District seat.
Brown, 53, made the announcement of her bid as a Republican candidate before a crowd of supporters at the town's recently completed Robert G. Clark Municipal Complex. Construction on that complex began during her first term as mayor.
"I want to thank the Lord for allowing me to be on such a wonderful journey of stewardship and leadership," she said. "It's about serving."
Brown described her record of service, not only as twice-elected mayor of Tchula, but also her 25 years of community activism as grounds for her seeking the office held by incumbent Bennie Thompson, D-Bolton.
Chuck Espy, a state legislator and Democrat from Clarksdale, also has announced his candidacy.
Voters will elect a nominee from each party during the June 5 primary. The general election is Nov. 7, and voters will decide a member of Congress.
So far, Brown is the only GOP candidate. The qualifying deadline is March 1.
Brown said she has faced many challenges as an activist, who worked for free health clinics and in food pantries.
She also has seen challenges as Tchula's chief officer, handling millions of dollars in federal funds for a variety of projects, from low-income housing to replacing water and sewerage lines.
"I believe it is time for me to use my time, my talents and my skills to serve you at a higher level," Brown said.
Brown will continue to serve as mayor of this town of more than 2,000 residents during her campaign for Congress. Brown's father, Bennie Rayford, was on hand to hear his daughter's announcement.
Rayford, the chairman of the Republican Party of Holmes County, said he became a Republican because the Democratic Party in Mississippi was not open to new individuals who wanted to participate - even veterans of past Democratic campaigns.
"You remember when Jesse Jackson ran for president? We were living in Ohio then. I managed his campaign in Toledo," Rayford said.
Tchula’s Republican Mayor Von Brown, right, is embraced by her father, Bennie Rayford, after Brown announced that she is running for Mississippi’s Second Congressional District seat.
She will have my vote.
I have pinged the Mississippi list.
a Republican because the Democratic Party in Mississippi was not open to new individuals who wanted to participate - even veterans of past Democratic campaigns......
That can't be right, it's the republican party that is holding people back. That's what Hillary says. (sarcasm)
Unfortunately, if she is anything like many of her fellow Black Republicans who have run for Congress in recent years, she can count on almost no $$ support from the party. The only Black GOPer who is likely to be remotely fully-funded for a federal office run is MD Lt. Gov. Michael Steele. :-(
Wow, a black GOP rep in Congress? A lot of Dems would pass out from the shock.
We all know what you're talking about.
LOL! Good. :)
Thompson got just 58% last time. That's not a big number for a Black rat in the South. The Blacks have yet to start voting GOP in Mississippi (only 10% in 2004 ) so this will be a very interesting race. As to money, if she shows any strength she'll get all she needs. There is a small but growing Black conservative community, some with money, who would love to get their first rat skin for their trophy room wall. This lady could be their poster girl.
Bennie is going to busy this time around
http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/13729193.htm
Chuck Espy files to challenge Thompson in Miss. 2nd District
JACK ELLIOTT JR.
Associated Press
JACKSON, Miss. - The congressional campaign in Mississippi's Second District pits a member of a prominent political family against an incumbent who holds a leading position on the Homeland Security Committee.
State Rep. Chuck Espy, a Democrat from Clarksdale, filed qualifying papers Friday with the Mississippi Democratic Party.
Espy will face incumbent Rep. Bennie Thompson in the June 6 Democratic Party primary. The general election is Nov. 7.
The Second District is Mississippi's only majority-black congressional district. Both Thompson and Espy are black.
Espy, 30, is the nephew of former 2nd District U.S. Rep. Mike Espy, who left Congress in 1993 to be President Clinton's first secretary of agriculture. Chuck Espy's father, Henry, is mayor of Clarksdale.
Chuck Espy has been in the Mississippi House since 2000. His family operates a chain of funeral homes in the Delta.
"This district needs someone who is accessible, who knows how to work well with all people to help improve the conditions from which we suffer," Espy said in a statement. "We are taking a fresh and positive approach to solving our problems because the old approach hasn't worked."
Espy said Thompson's 13 years in Congress have brought little progress to one of the poorest districts in the nation.
"The progress and opportunities that normally coincide with tenure simply have not materialized," Espy said. "Schools are worse. Industries and businesses are leaving. Thousands of people are losing jobs, and there are too many people still living in poverty who have no real options"
Thompson, who turns 58 on Saturday, has filed for re-election. Thompson won a special congressional election in 1993, succeeding Mike Espy. Thompson is the ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee.
"I have served the district in a manner that has accrued influence within my party," Thompson said Friday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.
"I have now the ranking position on Homeland Security," Thompson said. "I am involved in a number of activities that allow me to work with local, state and national officials on behalf of my district, and I look forward to continuing to serve the people of the Second District."
The Second District stretches through the cotton fields and small towns of the Delta, along the bluffs of the Mississippi River and into parts of the capital city of Jackson. The district is largely rural with only a few manufacturing jobs, and has a black voting age population of about 59 percent.
Thompson said he understands the Espy name is well known.
"I think people vote for Bennie Thompson, the man, rather than his name. And I know the good people of the Second District will continue to vote for the man rather than the name," he said.
Thompson said he looks forward to the campaign.
"Every time I run for re-election, people always say it's tough. I believe what people say. That's why I run hard."
Thompson, a Bolton native, has been in government for more than 35 years, starting his political career as a Bolton alderman, and then mayor. He later served as a Hinds County supervisor for 13 years.
"There's another five weeks before the deadline for qualifying. Some other people might run. Once we know what the field looks like, I'll know who my opponent or opponents are," Thompson said.
Republican Party officials said no one has filed qualifying papers to run in the 2nd District. Tchula Mayor Yvonne L. Brown, who also is black, is reportedly considering the race.
Candidates' filing deadline is March 1.
Mike Espy broke the color barrier in joining Mississippi's congressional delegation. In 1987, years after the 2nd District became majority black, Espy unseated Republican Rep. Webb Franklin.
Bennie's opponent in the last election was black. Clinton LeSeuer. A fine man, but he didn't do well in the Delta.
Not my district so I don't have a horse in the race other than the bigger picture of house control. But I am wary.
Is this lady a Republican in the vein of Ronald Reagan or a fair-weather (opportunist) Republican because she sees the state trending that way?
It's a big leap from daddy running Shakedown Jackson's campaign in Ohio to being what I consider to be a real Republican.
Granted, a sometime vote for our important issues is better than the guaranteed vote against that we get from Bennie. I guess my real question is will you have to hold your nose when you mark your ballot for her?
I don't know anything about her at this point, but I have never voted for a democrat in my life and I'll not start with Espy. I expect Espy will beat Bennie in the democrat primary.
MOST excellent!! I wish her the best of luck!! We used to go through Tchula all the time on trips from H'burg to Greenwood to visit SirKit's family.
Bennie Thompson has an extremely formidable political machine in the Delta. Hate to say this, but barring any major scandals (like he killed someone) or huge demographic changes (unlikely, and if it happened, the Justice department would just make the state redraw the district lines), Thompsons seat in the 2nd district is his for life.
excellent point. The party did not do a good job of support Clinton B. LeSeur's candidacy in either of the last two go-rounds in the 2nd district. Shameful if you ask me.
I think (and I hope) that Espy can beat Thompson.
Bennie Thompson got "only" 58% in 2004, but that was actually an uptick from the 55% he got in 2002. In each case our candidate was Clinton LeSueur, a mainstream conservative Republican who happens to be black and has strong ties to the district. LeSueur was sunk by lack of funds in 2002 and by the increased black turnout in 2004 (with the presidential election on the ballot). I wish Mayor Brown the best of luck, but, unfortunately, I think her only chance in 2006 is if Thompson narrowly beats Espy in a divisive primary and it results in a low turnout in the heavily Democrat northern part of the Delta (the Espy base).
I think Espy will beat Bennie. But, Espy will not get my vote regardless. I'll vote for this woman.
LeSeuer signs didn't even out number Bennie's in my little city. I voted for LeSeuer.
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