A three-candidate race has taken shape in the race for District 43 state representative.
Starkville restaurateur Mac Smith has announced he will take on Starkville attorney Rob Roberson in a Republican primary for the seat. Roberson, a former state representative, announced his candidacy late last year. Both have qualified with the state Republican Party in Jackson.
Whichever Republican survives the primary is guaranteed a general election opponent, too, as another Starkville attorney, Paul Millsaps, qualified Friday as a Democrat.
District 43 includes portions of Oktibbeha and Winston counties, notably the Mississippi State University campus and part of Starkville. It’s considered a “new district” since redrawn distrct lines from the 2010 census left it without an incumbent.
Smith, 54, is general manager of The Little Dooey in Starkville and the scorekeeper for MSU baseball and volleyball games. Though he has no political experience, he said he wants to be an accessible representative who fosters a healthy dialogue with his constituents, if elected.
“If you’re in that kind of position, you represent the people,” Smith said. “You don’t represent yourself. … It was kind of the ‘perfect storm’ for me to do this. I knew this district (the redrawn District 43) would come to fruition eventually. I’ve never done anything like this before, but I’ve always wanted to. So here I am.”
Smith said he understands the university’s value to the citizens of District 43, and he also ants to focus his campaign on promoting an effective and smooth transition during Starkville and Oktibbeha County public school districts’ consolidation set for July 1.
Millsaps, 62, is a lifelong resident of Starkville and a former owner of Millsaps Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick and GMC. He said he wants to promote strong education and job growth in the area, and he’s particularly interested in being MSU’s advocate in the legislature.
“I really love this community and I appreciate all it has to offer,” Millsaps said. “I see a lot of potential here.”
That said, Millsaps added he realizes the challenging road ahead to win the seat.
“Both Republican candidates are good quality men, and they’ll run good campaigns,” Millsaps said. “I’m going to work very hard at this campaign because that’s the only way I’ll be able to win. That’s also how I’ll serve, if elected.”
Roberson, 46, represented what was then District 37 from 1999-2004. Though Smith and Millsaps qualified to run less than two weeks before the Feb. 27 deadline, Roberson had already held fundraisers in anticipation of a contested race. He said he expects both Smith and Millsaps to be “formidable opponents.”
“We always knew it wasn’t going to be an unopposed candidacy so we were prepared,” Roberson said. “Honestly, we were already trying to build up our support for what we stand for, so (Smith and Millsaps entering the race) won’t change anything about the campaign. There are three good men in this race. Coming out of the Republican primary won’t be easy, and the general election won’t be easy, either.”
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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