A Democrat has challenged Republican incumbent Jeff Smith for the District 39 state House seat.
James E. Samuel Sr., 65, of Columbus qualified with the state Democratic party on Friday — the last day for candidates to qualify.
An ordained minister, Samuel pastored for 16 years in Christian Methodist Episcopal and Baptist churches. He said he served 12 years in the Air Force and is a former Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau board member.
No stranger to local politics, Samuel has unsuccessfully run for Lowndes County chancery clerk and Columbus ward 6 councilman. He qualified once before to challenge Smith for District 39 representative, but he ultimately withdrew.
At the time, Samuel said, Smith was running as the Democratic incumbent. Since the state party had thrown its support behind Smith, Samuel said he bowed out so he “wouldn’t hurt the party.”
Now, with Smith running as a Republican, Samuel said he’s in it to win it.
“The main thing is that there are people here in this district who are struggling just to make it…and their concerns are not being met in Jackson,” Samuel said. “I have a deep concern for people who have nothing and have no one on their side. That’s who I want to fight for and that’s who I want to represent.”
Smith, 65, serves as chairman of the House ways and means committee and co-chair of the transportation and railroads committee. He also serves on the House constitution, fees and salaries, and public health and welfare committees, as well as the joint legislative budget committee.
First elected in 1991, Smith ran as a Democrat until he switched parties in 2011. This will be his second re-election bid running as a Republican.
Smith said redistricting from the 2010 census made District 39 — once considered Democratic — into a reliably Republican district. He said the district, which serves parts of Lowndes and Monroe counties, is also 84 percent Caucasian.
“I know (Samuel),” Smith said. “He’s a nice, decent guy, and I don’t have anything negative to say about him. He’s a minister of the gospel, too, so I certainly respect him for that. But it’s going to be awfully hard for a Democrat to get a lot of votes in this district.
“I wish Mr. Samuel good luck, but I feel pretty good about my chances,” Smith added.
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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