The runoff election which will be June 24 is one of the most crucial elections in the history of the State of Mississippi.

In most instances, the rule of thought is “as a Democrat I don’t have a dog in the fight of a Republican run-off election.” However, when we look at the record of a man who has served the State of Mississippi for almost 42 years in Washington, D. C., we know we must be in this fight.

The Mississippi Association of Educators had a policy of looking at the record of the individuals running, in terms of public education, analyzing the race and then making a determination of who to recommend to its members for election. This policy worked well for MAE because it crossed party, gender and racial lines. The policy was objective and only used one basic criteria — what had the individual done to support public education in Mississippi and the United States of America.

I propose that we as Democrats adopt this basic criteria in the June 24 Republican runoff election. It is time to get into this fight and place all of our energies in getting out the vote.

Now to procedure. If you voted Republican in the June 3 primary election, you are eligible to vote in the June 24 runoff election. If you voted Democrat in the June 3 primary, you are not eligible to vote in the June 24 runoff election. However, and this is the most important kicker in this election — if you are a registered voted in Adams County and have valid identification but did not vote in the June 3 primary, you are eligible to vote in the June 24 Republican Primary. I urge you to get up, go out, vote and take a relative or friend to the polls.

Incumbent Sen. Thad Cochran has been a friend to Natchez and Adams County. More than a decade ago, Natchez sustained a terrible mud slide on Silver Street — killing several citizens who were eating at a local restaurant. Through the efforts of Sen. Cochran, Natchez received funding for the Bluff Stabilization Project, which has served as a poster card example of how to stabilize the bluff areas along the Mississippi River. This was the largest infrastructure project in Adams County during that period of time and stabilized the Bluff overlooking Silver Street and Learned Mills Road, the area where Magnolia Bluff Casino currently resides through reclaiming land from the Mississippi River.

Through the 592 Project under the United States Corp of Engineers, we have been able to stabilize Canal Street, resurface the drainage under Canal Street, provide drainage to Madison, Wall and Oak streets and Buckners Lane. This was coined the North Natchez Drainage Project, however, this project saved the Natchez Convention Center, the City Auditorium, the convention center hotel and all of the properties along Canal Street. The project drains all of the downtown business district and homes on South Union, South Rankin, Commerce and Pearl streets. This project was earnestly supported by Cochran and his staff. The project is in phase 2-D which will alleviate drainage problems and save citizens homes in Marblestone, Brookview, Brown’s subdivision and Old Smith Lane along with Inez Street and the completion of Daisy Street.

These are just some of the projects Cochran has worked with city and county officials to help the people of Adams County. During this past March, members of the Board of Supervisors traveled to Washington, D.C., to lobby the Mississippi Congressional Delegation and specifically Senator Cochran for full funding of a $1,000,000 in EWP projects. Before they returned to Natchez, they had been notified by the county manager that more than $700,000 had been approved for these projects in Natchez and Adams County.

These projects stop property from washing away due to the terrain of the land in Adams County and the amount of rainfall, which affects flooding residential properties.

These are not “pork projects” or the allocation of funds in a non-responsible manner. These projects help people in Adams County to stay in their homes, improve their property and keep paying their fair share of local, state and national taxes.

On June 24, I urge you to get up, go out and vote and take someone with you to the polls to support a man of his word and a man who’s record speaks for itself.

We must re-elect Cochran in this Republican runoff election.

 

Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis is mayor pro-tempore and the alderwoman for Ward 1 of the City of Natchez.