McCullough, Neely, Holland

The Panolian - Eight seeking seat vacated by Wicker - Republican Glenn McCullough of Tupelo visited last Tuesday, following a Monday night visit by fellow Republican Greg Davis of Southaven. McCullough is a former mayor of Tupelo. He was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the only Mississippian to have served as TVA chairman. He is also a former member of the Appalachian Regional Council. McCullough said that he supports better jobs like those which will be afforded by the General Electric facility under construction in Batesville and also support for existing employers like Batesville Casket Company. The candidate for representative said that voters’ concerns in Mississippi’s First Congressional District include safety and security. “As a local mayor, I’ve had to make sure our schools are secure,” he said. McCullough said that his career also made him aware of the need for security in the nuclear energy industry. “I believe we have to win the war for freedom,” McCullough continued; “help Iraq and Afghanistan secure their freedom.” Regarding illegal aliens, McCullough said, “we ought to stop it, secure our borders, identify the people here illegally and deal with them according to law. “Locally and regionally, I’ve solved problems,” the candidate for First District representative said.

Webster Progress Times - Neely's agenda includes infrastructure, education - Infrastructure, education and safe communities are key issues of congressional candidate Brian Neely. The Tupelo attorney is seeking the Democratic nomination for the 1st District Congressional seat vacated by Roger Wicker. He spoke Jan. 22 to a gathering at Liberty United Methodist Church in Eupora. Neely stressed the importance of having the proper infrastructure to attract new job opportunities. He noted that the Natchez Trace is the most direct route from here to Tupelo, but that commercial traffic cannot use it. "Your representative is supposed to make sure you have the infrastructure (needed) in your vicinity," he said. "It's wrong you don't have (interstate) highways. Good leadership will get you highways." Neely said another priority would be making sure all high school students graduate with a diploma, not simply a certificate of completion. "It's crazy to send a child through school for 12 years and they don't have the basic skills (they were promised to compete)," he said. At the federal level, the candidate said he wants to see tax rebates for minorities and small businesses. "We need to put more of our resources into helping people start their own businesses and be successful," Neely said. Neely is a former county attorney for Lee County and a former Marine Corps captain. He is the great-great-grandson of the late Rev. James Henry and Mattie Quinn Windrick of Walthall.

Daily Journal - Campaign Notebook - State Rep. Steve Holland, who's running for the 1st District U.S. House seat vacated when Roger Wicker was appointed U.S. senator, visited a civics class at Plantersville Middle School to talk about Wednesday's Mississippi House passage of full school funding. "We not only fully funded the formula (for the Mississippi Adequate Education Program), we did it plus $65 million over," said Holland, a longtime supporter of public education. "Two billion is what it takes, but in House Bill 513, we increased that to $2.308 billion."