Gov. Phil Bryant on Tuesday set a date for a special election for House District 36. The election, created because of the death of longtime District 36 Rep. David Gibbs, will be March 12.
According to Lowndes County Circuit Clerk Haley Salazar, the only Lowndes County precinct in the district is located on a portion of the Lowndes County Airbase. The polling place for that precinct is the North West Lowndes Fire Department on 128 Jess Lyons Road. The other district precincts are located in portions of Clay and Monroe counties.
Gibbs, D-West Point, served as the representative for District 36 since the seat was created more than 20 years ago. Gibbs died Jan.13 at the age of 76.
Gibbs’ son, Karl Gibbs, was the first candidate to announce he would run for the House seat. He will face Rev. Eddie Longstreet of West Point, Dr. Roderick Van Daniel of Aberdeen and Jeannie Johnson Staten of Clay County.
Staten officially announced she would be qualifying for the election on Tuesday. A retired teacher and social worker, Staten served as the deputy chancery clerk for Clay County.
“We need someone to speak for the people of District 36,” Staten said. “We need jobs. With the highest unemployment rate in the state, District 36 has to have some people in Jackson that can pull in new industry.”
Candidates for the special election may qualify by filing a petition with at least 50 signatures of qualified electors from the district with the State Board of Election Commissioners no later than 5 p.m. on Feb. 11.
Jeff Clark was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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