Education and improving county infrastructure and services marked much of the discourse at the second meet-and-greet session at Vicksburg Auditorium in as many weeks Tuesday.

Attended by about 100, the two-hour event was hosted by the Vicksburg Alumnae Chapter of the Delta Sigma Sorority, the Mississippi Chapter of Blacks In Government and the Vicksburg branch of the NAACP.

Specifics were largely avoided by the 29 county-level and legislative hopefuls who showed up. Among them were Democrats unopposed in Tuesday’s primaries, who have been running low-key campaigns.

&#8220We must make education affordable,” said Jennifer Thomas, operations officer for Warren County Emergency Management, who is running as a Democrat for House District 54, referencing rising tuition costs at the state universities.

In her opening statements, limited to 2 minutes for candidates who attended, Thomas also said she favored withholding any state funds for research on human embryos.

Attorney and independent candidate Tom Setser, who switched from Republican at the end of qualifying, said he was seeking the post outside the bounds of &#8220partisan politics,” something he said &#8220isn’t needed in Mississippi.”

Thomas and Setser advance to the Nov. 6 general election to face the winner of Tuesday’s Republican primary, either Ryan Sadler or Alex Monsour. The seat is being vacated by Rep. Chester Masterson, who is seeking a Senate seat.

Education funding and school dropout rates were mentioned topics by almost all legislative candidates, along with the grocery and cigarette tax issue.

&#8220Everybody’s running on it because there’s something wrong,” Setser said.

Sadler said his presence at the forum staged by organizations not traditionally Republican indicated his willingness to reach out &#8220to both sides of the aisle.” His primary opponent was one of three Republicans whose names were on forum programs but not present.

Rep. George Flaggs, D-Vicksburg, appeared opposite Rick McAlister, his Republican challenger in the November general election, perhaps for the first time. The area’s longest-tenured public official touted his experience as a positive, including his two appointments to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.

&#8220I’m the only member of the Legislature to be appointed twice because of my fiscal responsibility to you and the state of Mississippi,” Flaggs said.

McAlister said it was &#8220time for a change” and would &#8220put money back in the pockets of the people” if elected, referencing his desire to lower the grocery tax.

The Flaggs-McAlister contest will also be decided Nov. 6.

Candidates for Senate District 23 also spoke of the linkage of education funding and job creation, plus what it would take to get legislative support for bills benefitting the district.

&#8220We’re competing with every other state in this nation and foreign countries for jobs. If you’re not a good salesperson and a hustler, you’re not going to get the business here,” said Republican W. Briggs Hopson III.

Businessman Eric Rawlings, unopposed for the Democratic nod in the senate race, favored building a veterans health clinic in Vicksburg to supplement the G.V. &#8220Sonny” Montgomery VA Medical Center in Jackson.

&#8220I won’t only represent big businesses and big industry. I will represent the everyday working person like you and I,” Rawlings said.

Republicans Masterson and James &#8220Buddy” Terrell reiterated their respective themes of funding a burn and trauma center and not raising taxes. All legislative candidates came out against tax hikes on cell phones to fund emergency dispatch and housing city prisoners outside Mississippi, two ideas promoted by city and county officials that died in House committees this year.

GOP primary voters will decide Tuesday whether Hopson, Masterson or Terrell will advance to face Rawlings. The seat is being vacated by Sen. Mike Chaney.

On the county side, candidates for seats on the Warren County Board of Supervisors, district attorney and tax assessor appeared.

The one race that will decide a winner Tuesday is between incumbent Charles Selmon and challenger James Stirgus Jr. for the supervisor seat from District 3. There are no Republicans or independents seeking the all-city seat, so Tuesday’s winner will appear on November ballots unopposed.

&#8220I believe in cooperation, dedication, innovation, accountability and credibility,” Stirgus said, adding he will work more effectively with city planners in Vicksburg and the Vicksburg-Warren Chamber of Commerce to improve relations.

Selmon said his status as &#8220a born-again Christian” is his best attribute, adding &#8220government has a part to play in all our lives.”

Attorney Ricky Smith, challenging incumbent DA Gil Martin, said the district attorney should personally prosecute more cases and rely less on assistants.

&#8220(The DA’s Office) should prevent crimes and not just prosecute,” Smith said.

Martin explained the use of plea deals in certain criminal cases because of court scheduling and time constraints.

Tax Assessor Richard Holland praised the openness and online availability of the county’s tax records among his successes. His November challenger, independent Pat Ring, favored notifying county residents of changes in their appraisals, something not required by the Legislature but done in some counties.

Among supervisor candidates, attracting venues to get entertainment dollars to stay in Warren County remained a goal.

&#8220I’ve probably recruited more businesses than our industrial recruiters,” said independent Margaret Gilmer, who will face the Tuesday’s primary between Republican incumbent David McDonald and John Arnold.

Arnold spoke on much the same theme, saying &#8220There’s nothing for our kids to do.” Tony Ford is also an independent in District 1.

McDonald, along with District 5 supervisor candidate Joe Wooley, were the other two who did not attend the forum.

District 2 Supervisor William Banks, who faces Michael Gates in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, talked of success in persuading the county to pursue help in applying for federal grants.

Independent candidate Tommie F. Rawlings spoke of the need for a new jail and improvements inside Warren County Courthouse itself.

Rawlings said his construction background would be his strongest asset if elected in November against the Democratic nominee.

District 4 Supervisor Carl Flanders faces fellow independent and former supervisor Bill Lauderdale, as well as Republican C.L. &#8220Buddy” Hardy, in November balloting.

&#8220I have a record to run on,” Flanders said, referencing moves to enact a personnel policy for county employees and replace board counsel.

Flanders said he is against across-the-board pay raises likely to be part of the operating budget supervisors will take up in September and he favors individual evaluations of county workers.

Lauderdale counted his 16 years on the board prior to his 2003 loss to Flanders as a plus, saying his rationale for running was &#8220not to rock the boat, but to help steer it to the best destination.”

District 5 Supervisor Richard George, who will have the most crowded field of any incumbent, said voters should know what to expect from him if elected to a fourth term.

&#8220After three terms, you know what you’ve got,” George said. &#8220A sound understanding of county government.”

Republican James McCoy came out against the tax break offered by the current board to Spectra Energy, one of three firms proposing to run new natural gas pipelines through Warren County.

Independents Robert Hubbard, Kenneth Sharp Jr., both city employees, and Democrat Frank Gardner mirrored other candidates’ pledges to improve relations between Vicksburg and Warren County’s respective governing bodies.