As of Friday evening, the District 2 and District 5 supervisor races are now contested.
Incumbent Republican Trip Hairston is now facing off against fellow Republican Brad Holliman in District 2, and incumbent Democrat Leroy Brooks is facing Tiffany Turner, who is running as an Independent.
Hairston, who is completing his first term on the board of supervisors, told The Dispatch Friday afternoon that he wants to continue the county’s trajectory of growth.
“We have a lot of good things going on,” he said. “I felt like serving another term would be the right thing to do to see some of those things through and see the benefits of what has been done. I think I would also be in a position to foster some of those things through to fruition.”
He said the county faced challenges with roads and with the expansion of the industrial park, among other areas.
“I think that providing some continuity there is a good thing,” he said.
Holliman is a native of Lowndes County. He has worked for the Lowndes County Road Department for 17 years, and is a foreman in District 1, a position he’s held for about 12 years. He has also been a volunteer fireman for 22 years, and since 2008 he has owned and operated B&S Lawn Care.
Holliman — a distant relative to District 3 Supervisor John Holliman who is not running for reelection — said he is running out of a desire to serve the community.
“It’s just a different way I can help the community out,” he said. “As you can tell from my time with the fire department and the road department, I just enjoy helping people out. I see this as a better way to further my help throughout the community.”
Holliman said he wants to ensure the board of supervisors serves everyone equally.
“I’d like to look at some of the money spending,” he said. “A lot of it goes toward favoritism. I think everybody ought to be represented equally, everybody’s a taxpayer and everybody deserves their fair share.”
District 5 supervisor
Brooks, the longest-serving supervisor on the board, said that by the end of his current term he will have been in office for 40 years.
“I’m still interested in the job, I still love the job and I have knowledge and training that’s probably unmatched by most supervisors,” he said. “I think I still have a lot to contribute to the well-being of this county. It’s not for me, it’s for the next generation of young people and I feel I can help make their lives better.”
Brooks said one of the biggest issues in District 5 is improving fire protection.
“It is the Mecca for industrial development, and one of the major things is we are going to have to see perhaps a manned fire department out here,” he said. “With the industrial development and the growth we need a paid fire department, and perhaps some more emergency services.”
Turner was born in Florida but has lived in Columbus since she was 4 years old.
She said she is currently working with the nonprofit Appalshop, where she is a national community organizer, a position she has held for about two years.
She said she is running to bring better community engagement to the citizens of District 5.
“I’m doing some national work now, but I’ve been active in our community here, including with Memphis Town Community Builders, which my husband and I were founding members of,” she said. “…Doing that work we just see a void of community engagement or involvement with elected officials.”
Tiffany Turner’s husband is former Ward 4 councilman Marty Turner, who has previously run unsuccessfully against Brooks for supervisor.
Tiffany Turner said she thinks it is time for a change.
“(Brooks) has been my supervisor ever since I was here,” she said. “I feel like I can offer a different perspective, and I can also be a bridge between the community and elected officials.”
Turner previously served one term on the Columbus Light and Water board. She was appointed in 2015 to fill out the unexpired term of Andrew Colom, who resigned. She did not seek reappointment in 2018, when that term was up.
District 3 supervisor
In District 3, Republican Chad Frasher has qualified for District 3 supervisor, ensuring a competitive primary.
He is joining Republican Andy Williamson, who also qualified last week.
Frasher has been a resident of Lowndes County for most of his life. He said he grew up here, moved away, came back and has stayed put for the last 21 years. He works as a purchasing agent at Columbus Light and Water.
He said he had been thinking about running for a while.
“I was thinking about running four years ago, but this year I just decided to do it,” he said. “There are some things that need to be changed, there are some things that are good.”
He said he wanted to focus on roads if elected.
“Everybody talks about the roads,” he said. “That’s the number one thing people talk to me about.”
The deadline to qualify is Feb. 1. Primary elections are Aug. 8, and the general election is Nov. 7.
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 30 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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