The field of qualified candidates for north Mississippi’s vacant U.S. House seat has grown to 11.
The deadline for qualification is today.
A special election to fill former U.S. Rep. Alan Nunnelee’s 1st District seat is scheduled for May 12. A runoff will be held June 2.
Nunnelee died of brain cancer in February. He unseated former Democratic U.S. Rep. Travis Childers five years ago after serving 15 years in the Miss. Senate.
Boyce Adams, a Columbus businessman, formally submitted qualifying papers to the Mississippi Secretary of State this week. Mike Tagert, a Starkville resident and the Northern District Transportation Director, also qualified this week.
Sam Adcock and Danny Bedwell, both Columbus residents, have also announced their intentions to run but according to the SOS website this morning, they had not yet turned in qualifying papers.
Other candidates who have qualified include: state Sen. Nancy Adams Collins, R-Tupelo; Tupelo dentist Edward Troy Holliday; Pontotoc physician Starner Jones; Trent Kelly, the district attorney for the 1st Circuit Court district; Fulton attorney Michael P. “Chip” Mills Jr.; Tupelo attorney Greg Pirkle; former Eupora Mayor Henry Ross; Oxford attorney Daniel Sparks; and former Jackson Councilman Quentin Whitwell.
The 1st Congressional District includes a wide swath of north Mississippi, from Desoto County to the Golden Triangle.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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