On Tuesday, north Mississippi voters will go to the polls to select the person who will represent District 1 in the U.S. House of Representatives. Republican Trent Kelly and Democrat Walter Zinn Jr., meet in the run-off. The two survived a crowded 13-candidate field in the May 12 special election to fill the term vacated by the late Alan Nunnelee, who died of brain cancer on Feb. 6.
All too often, it seems, voters are asked to choose “the lesser evil,” but in this case, we are encouraged by the presence of two quality candidates.
We hope the high caliber of the candidates will inspire people to come out to the polls in big numbers. There are few elected positions as important as Congress, and our government works best when our leaders are elected with the broad consent of an informed, engaged citizenry.
There is much to like about both candidates. We admire Zinn’s idealism, intelligence and eloquence while we appreciate Kelly’s pragmatism, life experience and deep roots in the district.
Though both candidates will reflect the politics of the party whose banner they are running under, neither appears to be committed to the kind of relentless dogma that has contributed to the gridlock that has plagued Congress in recent years.
If that body is to be effective, we must send to Washington thoughtful representatives who will carefully weigh the issues before them, come to an independent conclusion and vote their conscience, not their party. We need statesmen, not ideologues.
While voters cannot make a bad choice, we believe they can make the better choice.
That better choice is Trent Kelly.
Kelly’s long service in the district — 16 years as prosecutor and district attorney for Lee, Pontotoc, Alcorn, Monroe, Itawamba, Prentiss and Tishomingo counties — and his 30 years of military service have provided him not only with a deep understanding of the community he seeks to represent, but valuable insight on foreign affairs.
While there is much to like about Zinn, and we are confident he can be a rising star in our state, we feel Kelly’s long service to the district and his experience as a leader make him the best choice when voters go to the polls on Tuesday.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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