A third candidate has entered the race for Mississippi District 35 representative.
Louisville Republican Brian Sims, 38, has qualified to face one-term incumbent Joey Hood (R-Ackerman), also 38, in an August primary.
Another Louisville resident, 34-year-old Patrick Warner, who works as a Starkville firefighter, is running as a Democrat for that House seat.
District 35 includes portions of Attala, Choctaw, Webster and Winston counties.
Sims said he has worked the last four years as a Mississippi Farm Bureau agent. Before that he spent 15 years as a private-school teacher and coach, working stints at Winston, Starkville, Newton and Pillow academies.
A conservative, Sims said he wants to help what he believes is government overreach on both the state and federal levels. He said responsible state government should allow the “maximum level of liberty” for all citizens.
“When it comes to government, the tail may be wagging the dog rather than visa versa,” he said.
Sims said he also wants to be a leader of his generation, one he said needed to supply more public servants and policy makers. Sims said he disagreed with many of his fellow Republicans decisions in Jackson. He would not specify any examples. However, he promised to be a formidable candidate.
“It’s time for our generation to step forward and take the reins in making decisions that will affect our futures and our children’s futures,” Sims said. “I feel led to do this. When it comes to something I’m driven to do and am passionate about, I’m not going to be outworked.”
Hood did not return calls for comment by press time.
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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