Hear from state Senate candidates

The special election determining who will fill the state Senate seat representing District 49 is tomorrow.
Three candidates put up election signs and are knocking on doors, all on a mission to prove to Harrison County voters they are qualified to represent District 49 in the state Senate. Candidate Dan Carr said, “We have been all over Gulfport, West Biloxi, and Saucier going to doors, talking to people.”
The District 49 seat was recently left vacant by Sean Tindell after he was sworn in as a judge with the state appeals court. The three candidates running in Tuesday’s special election, Ron Meyers, Dan Carr, and Joel Carter, are all from Gulfport. Candidate Joel Carter said, “I am the business candidate in this race. Me and my siblings have developed a successful real estate firm in downtown Gulfport. We are part of the revitalization of downtown Gulfport.”
Candidate Ron Meyers said, “I’ve got 34 years of a proven track record of creating jobs, working with entrepreneurs, mentoring people in our community.”
State education is a big focus for the candidates. “I have a master’s in education. So whenever it comes to education and educating our children, I believe that I know what our teachers need. I believe that I know what our school superintendents need and so that’s going to be one of my focuses,” said Carr.
“Our teachers need better pay, better resources in classrooms for our kids and the next thing is small businesses. I want to do whatever I can to help our businesses flourish and grow,” said Carr.
“Help get the BP money down here, create economic drivers, and create more tax revenue,” said Carter.
One thing raising concerns is the date the election falls on. Candidates say they know this is a busy time of the year for everyone, but it’s important that our community gets to the polls. Polls open Tuesday at 7 a.m.