Three seek seats in county, House

Three candidates filed for seats on the Warren County Board of Supervisors and for state representative Wednesday, beating today’s 5 p.m. deadline.

John Arnold, 53, a businessman and licensed real estate broker, entered the District 1 supervisor race as a Republican.

He will face against incumbent supervisor and fellow Republican David McDonald in primary voting Aug. 7. with the winner advancing to the general election on Nov. 6.

Arnold, a Delhi, La., native, said Wednesday he has lived in the northeastern Warren County district four years.

&#8220I just want to be involved in county business and promote Warren County for businesses. I think we’re behind,” he said.

Independent Margaret Gilmer, general manager of Vicksburg Factory Outlets, filed to run Feb. 23 and will be on the ballot to face the Republican nominee in November.

In southeast Warren County, the race in District 5 gained its second challenger in as many days as Army Corps retiree James W. McCoy, 61, filed paperwork with the Circuit Clerk’s Office.

&#8220I want to see tax dollars spent more efficiently,” said McCoy.

City of Vicksburg community services director Robert Hubbard filed for the race Tuesday as an independent to challenge three-term incumbent Richard George.

All five incumbent supervisors are up for re-election this year, and each has drawn at least one opponent.

In District 2, covering northwest Warren County, William Banks is running for a full term as a Democrat, challenged by independent Tommie F. Rawlings.

In District 3, which lies inside central Vicksburg, Charles Selmon is running for a fourth term and is opposed in the Democratic primary by James Stirgus Jr.

In District 4, in southwest Warren County, incumbent Carl Flanders, an independent, is being challenged by former supervisor Bill Lauderdale, also an independent, and Republican Clifton &#8220Buddy” Hardy.

The election in House District 55 also became a contest Wednesday as local Rick McAlister filed to run as a Republican against five-term incumbent Democrat George Flaggs Jr.

McAlister, 54, is pastor of New Vision Family Worship Center and co-owns R&C Auto Sales.

Flaggs, who was unopposed in 2003, said Wednesday he is running to provide voters &#8220the vision, the experience and leadership for Mississippi’s future,” adding he respects McAlister as a minister.

McAlister said he was running as a Christian businessman in support of lower taxes and full funding for education at all levels.

House District 54, which covers south Vicksburg as well as Issaquena County and a portion of Sharkey, is contested by three Republicans, businessman Alex Monsour and Thomas Setser and Ryan Sadler, both attorneys.

So far, 40 candidates have filed to run for 18 county-level offices plus district attorney and five races in the state Legislature whose districts include Warren County.

Dale slips in for 8th term

By Emily Wagster Pettus

JACKSON – After considering running as an independent, Insurance Commissioner George Dale filed papers Wednesday to seek an eighth four-year term as a Demo-crat.

He qualified on the next-to-last day possible. There’s a 5 p.m. deadline today for people to become candidates for a long list of Mississippi offices, from governor to state senator to county supervisor.

Party primaries are Aug. 7, and the general election is Nov. 6.

Dale – who has been in the headlines frequently in the 18 months since Hurricane Katrina – said the qualifying papers sat on his desk for weeks and he finally dropped them off at the Democratic Party headquarters. He said at one point, he had called the Secretary of State’s Office to find out what he’d have to do to qualify as an independent.

An independent running for any statewide office would have to gather 1,000 signatures. Candidates running under a party label simply have to fill out an application and pay a fee.

Dale said he believes the insurance commissioner’s job should be nonpartisan.

&#8220I feel attuned to both political parties. I just hate to have to run as a party,” Dale said. &#8220There are people who will vote against me simply because I have a ‘D’ by my name or against me simply because I had an ‘R’ by my name.”

Dale, 66, is the longest-serving state insurance commissioner in the nation. He was first elected in 1975. The only other Democrat in the race so far is Shawn O’Hara of Hattiesburg, who also has filed to run for the other seven statewide offices and for Southern District Public Service Commissioner.

The only Republican running for insurance commissioner so far is Daniel Smith, 27, of Ocean Springs, a University of Mississippi student who said he’s scheduled to graduate this spring with a bachelor’s degree in human resources. Smith filed qualifying papers Wednesday.

&#8220I’ve always wanted to get into politics,” Smith said in a phone interview. &#8220I figured the best way to do it is just to jump in.”

Smith said his parents lost their home to Katrina and spent about a year in court to try to get money from their insurance company. He said he wasn’t sure which insurance company it was.

&#8220George Dale is showing a blind eye to the people down there,” Smith said.

Smith said he didn’t know whether his family’s experience with their insurer after Katrina would affect the way he’d deal with insurance companies if he’s elected.

Other new developments: