WEST POINT — The race to succeed outgoing West Point Mayor Robbie Robinson, who is retiring, grew to five candidates before Friday’s qualifying deadline, and all but one member of the board of selectmen will face a challenger.
Homer Rylan Jr. qualified this past week as an independent candidate for mayor. He and Jennifer Renee Harper, who qualified last week as a Constitution Party candidate, will proceed to the general election and will not appear on the primary ballot. They will face the winner of the Democratic primary between Rod Bobo, Cole Bryan and new candidate Tammy Parkerson, who also qualified within the last week.
Rylan has run for mayor of his hometown before and said several of the ideas he outlined in his previous campaign, such as bringing Peco Foods to West Point, were put to use by past administrations.
“I know my ideas are feasible, and that’s been proven because my ideas have been used,” he said.
He worked as the campaign manager for his father, Homer Rylan Sr., who was a selectman for 20 years, and he has also worked as an engineer at Steel Dynamics in Lowndes County.
Parkerson co-owns J. Parkerson Jewelers in Starkville with her husband, Jamie, and owns Image Makers Hair Salon in West Point, according to her Facebook page.
She did not return calls from The Dispatch by press time.
Primary elections are April 6. The general election will be June 8.
Selectmen primary challenges
The Democratic incumbents in Wards 2, 3 and 5 all received primary challengers in the week before the filing deadline. Ward 2 Selectman William Binder will face Bryson Gandy, Ward 3 Selectman Ken Poole will face Jonas Robinson and Ward 5 Selectman Jasper Pittman will face Colby Pennington.
Robinson, the outgoing mayor’s 45-year-old nephew, cited a desire to serve his hometown and make it a better place for his children as his reasons for running.
“I want to work with other elected officials to help West Point prosper and continue on the path it’s going and to bring jobs and industry to West Point,” said Robinson, a carpenter with Harrell General Contractors.
Pennington, 30, said he wants to effect change in West Point that he has not seen over the years. In addition to his job as an electrical journeyman lineman at Mississippi State University in Starkville, he is a longtime volunteer coach for several youth sports and said he wants the city to make a stronger investment in young people’s futures.
West Point closed its parks last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Pennington said the city should come up with a plan to reopen them.
“It seems every board meeting, it’s pushed to the side,” he said. “Our youth will be our future someday, and we’ve kept our kids inside for about a year. Not only is it bad for them mentally, but physically too.”
Pennington said he also wants the city’s government to communicate more actively with the public.
“Whether it’s what they want to hear or not, I want to be transparent and open with people because we’re working for them, and people deserve to know what’s going on at these board meetings and what’s happening in the city,” he said.
Gandy could not be reached for comment by press time.
Other races
Additionally, Ward 1 Selectwoman Leta Turner faces a challenge from fellow Democrat Linda Hannah, who previously held the seat. The winners of all four competitive primaries will automatically win the seats in June.
Ward 4 Selectman Keith McBrayer is unopposed for re-election.
Tess Vrbin was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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