NATCHEZ &045; In what was the first political forum of the 2003 campaign season, several candidates for county offices gathered Thursday night for a marathon session of introductions and questions.

Among the candidates speaking Thursday were the following:

Coroner

Chief among the comments and questions surrounding coroner candidates was experience. Independent John Pullen said he has a medical and business background that would serve him in office.

&uot;We’re in a situation in Adams County that we don’t need too many professional people,&uot; he said. &uot;We need business people.&uot;

Rosie Sullivan pointed out her 27 years of experience

as a registered nurse. She has spent 23 years at Natchez Regional Medical Center.

&uot;I’m a very caring person, a dedicated person, a hard worker. I’m not a politician,&uot; she said, although she admitted this is her third attempt at the office.

Coroner James E. Lee said he has the experience of the office behind him.

&uot;You already have an experienced coroner you can depend on every day,&uot; he said, noting the changes he has made, including establishing a permanent office and putting death records on file.

Sheriff

Two candidates for sheriff attended the forum. Ronnie Brown said he wants to help implement a drug court for Adams County &045; something the state will have to initiate, although Brown said the county is on the list for a new program.

Brown also said he wants to establish a program for deputies to mentor youth.

Charles Woods said he wants to make Adams County &uot;a safe place to work and live.&uot;

Woods said he would have a full-time public relations officer in the sheriff’s department.

Justice court judge

Cain Callon, who works in petroleum land management for his family’s company, said his motivation in seeking office is to &uot;serve the people.&uot;

&uot;I believe in equal justice for all,&uot; he said. &uot;My strength is that I love people and I love the law.&uot;

Jackie Herrington, who has worked for attorneys for 15 years, said she has experience with law.

&uot;I feel like I could do a good job in this position,&uot; she said.

John Robert Sullivan said he would &uot;serve honestly.&uot;

&uot;A faithful and honest court is the cornerstone of democracy,&uot; he said. &uot;Justice court is the last people’s court.&uot;

&uot;I would establish programs for youth and work with other officials to get the economy up and running again,&uot; he said.

The forum was sponsored by The Watchful Eye, a concerned citizens group whose members have made controversial allegations in the past year about agencies such as the Natchez Police Department and the Adams County Elections Commission.

The primary election is Aug. 5, with the general election to be held Nov. 4.

July 5 is the deadline to register to vote in the primary; Oct. 4 is the deadline to register to vote in the general election.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Comments from other candidates will appear in the Sunday edition of The Democrat.