Howard Sherman has lived, off and on, in Meridian for the past 18 years.

But it only takes a few minutes to recognize an obvious truth: He ain’t from around here.

The son of eastern European immigrants, Sherman, 53, has spent his adult life as a venture capitalist, starting his first of many businesses right out of Harvard Business School.

Were it not for a blind date with a girl from Meridian, it’s doubtful that Sherman would have ever set foot in Mississippi.

Now, that he’s here no one quite knows what to make of him.

Sherman is running for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. His opponents in the primary are long-time state legislators — David Baria of Bay St. Louis and Omeria Scott of Laurel. The winner will take on incumbent Roger Wicker in the November general election.

Since his announcement in March, the question is not just “Who’s he?” but “What’s he?”

Soon after he entered the race, Sherman’s “bona-fides” as a Democrat were called into question. He grew up in a liberal, Democratic household — his earliest memories of politics is of his parents vigorously campaigning for Robert F. Kennedy — but switched parties in his 40s, he said, because of the California Democratic Party’s anti-business policies.

For Sherman, his shift from California Republican to Mississippi Democrat is a question that continues to frustrate him.

“It’s almost comical,” he says.

His Democrat opponents question whether he is really a Democrat. Republicans brand him as an ultra-liberal.

But, what if he’s both?

That dynamic is what makes Sherman the most intriguing candidate in the race.

At a time when both parties demand ideological purity, Sherman doesn’t check all of the expected boxes.

As a entrepreneur, his pro-private sector capitalism aligns with Republicans. As a candidate who embraces the social causes Republicans despise, he is clearly in the Democratic camp.

He’s not the kind of guy purists will naturally embrace. That much, he understands.

“It’s a calculated risk,” he admits.

Sherman believes he can beat his Democratic primary opponents on the strength of his ideas — including transforming Mississippi from an economy that relies heaving on exporting raw materials — agricultural products — to production and distribution of finished products that will boost state revenue and create jobs. His idea of what he calls “medical tourism” is an interesting idea, too.

Sherman, who has created medical-related businesses, recalled a trip to the Delta where he was talking to a medical administrator. The administrator told Sherman about a heart-scan machine. The scans cost $1,100. The administrator said the scan would probably cost just $200 if more scans were performed. As it was, it cost $1,100 because they had to pay for the machine, he was told.

“So we did an experiment there,” he said. “We offered scans for $250. We did hundreds of them because health insurance would cover the cost and people could afford them. When you specialize, your costs go down. That’s what I call medical tourism.”

How much traction Sherman’s campaign gets may also depend on another asset.

That blind date? He married the girl, whose name is Sela Ward, an actress who has the one thing her husband does not: Name recognition.

“As an entrepreneur, you ask, “What are my assets?'” Sherman said.

Sherman believes Ward will help attract the independent and cross-over Republican votes he’ll need to beat Wicker.

Of course, he has to win the primary first.

In a field of Democrats who lack state-wide recognition, who Howard Sherman is may not be as important as what he is.

If voters are prepared to go beyond political orthodoxy, he has a fighting chance.

Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].

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