Current City Clerk Holloway said he believes negative campaigning damages the credibility of candidates participating in negative campaigning.

“I guess the people running are doing it because they feel like they’re behind, and that is the only way they can get their message out there,” Holloway said.

Other candidates on the upcoming ballots admit they aren’t surprised that a little dirt is flying.

Mayoral candidate Phillip West, a Democrat, said he is not opposed to campaign advertising that may be perceived as negative as long as the information presented in the advertising is true.

“If what’s being said is true, people have a right to hear the truth,” West said. “I don’t think that is out of line. It would be good, however, if from time to time, candidates focused on who they are and what they’re trying to do.”

West said his campaign strategy is to focus on his accomplishments and goals and not spotlight the shortcomings of his opponents through negative advertising.

Independent mayoral candidate Bill Furlow said he believes candidates should focus on presenting their respective platforms and avoid negative campaigning.

“Let’s present our competitive visions for the future of Natchez and let people make their judgments based on that,” he said.

Republican mayoral candidate Bob Buie said he has no intentions in participating in the “very negative and crude” advertising that has been put out during the election.

“That’s the last thing I plan on doing,” Buie said. “That’s not my nature, for one, and, two, I was raised better than that.”

But Ward 6 Alderman and candidate Dan Dillard said defining negative advertising can be a bit tricky.

Dillard said he did believe the fliers sent out by Middleton’s camp were done so with the intention of presenting Brown in an unfavorable light.

Dillard said, however, placing campaign advertising recently done by Hendricks in the city clerk’s race is not easily categorized as negative.

“Is it negative because it was presented, or is it negative because that is the way things actually occurred?” Dillard questioned.

Ward 1 Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis, who is currently seeking re-election, said campaigns generally get “dirty,” but she said she would only focus on presenting her achievements and plans for the city in her advertising.

Mathis said she believed the negativity in local politics existed before the start of campaigning for the upcoming elections.

Hendricks and Holloway both said they believe campaigning, in general, has been more negative during the current election than in past elections.

And Furlow said negative campaigning could get worse before it gets better.

“We still have two weeks to go until the primary, we don’t know what is going to occur between now and then,” he said. “I hope when we get to the general election campaign, everyone will stick to the high road.”

The primary election is May 1. Independent candidates will not appear on the ballot for the primary election. The general election is June 5.