Wooley to face George in District 5 Supervisor race

Published 7:18 am Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Tuesday’s primary had little effect in two supervisors districts where two incumbents did not appear on the ballot.

In District 5, the end of the primary signals the campaign can finally begin, and in District 2, the winner was already decided.

District 5 Supervisor Richard George, an independent, will face Republican challenger Joe Wooley.

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“There’s a lot of pavement that needs to be pounded and a lot of door knocking to do,” Wooley said of the beginning of the campaign season.

George has been on the board for five terms, but he has not appeared in a primary since he became an independent in his second term.

“I’ve tried to work to provide affordable, progressive government,” George said.

As an independent, George’s name did not appear on Tuesday’s ballot.

From 1997 to 1999, George was director of the Warren County Buildings and Grounds Department.

George graduated from St. Aloysius High School in 1967 and received a bachelor’s in business administration from Mississippi State University in 1971.

He operates a cattle farm and owns commercial property in Vicksburg and Warren County.

Wooley is a frequent challenger of George’s, challenging the incumbent three previous times.

“There are some changes that need to be made. I’d like to see a few things happen different on the board, the way they do business. We don’t have a lot of money,” Wooley said.

Wooley is running as a Republican, after seeking the post previously as an independent.

“I wanted to see what it looked like and how many votes I would get,” Wooley said. “In politics, you never know what you’re gong to get.”

Wooley retired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1997. In retirement he has worked for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

He grew up in Warren County and graduated from high school in California. He attended Hinds Community College.

District 2 Supervisor Williams Banks was unopposed and faces no challenger in November. Banks has held the seat since 2005 when he defeated interim Supervisor Larry “L.D.” Prentiss in a special election to replace Michael Mayfield who became North Ward Alderman for the City of Vicksburg.

Attempts to reach Banks were unsuccessful.