PICAYUNE — Pearl River County supervisor Hudson Holliday on Thursday predicted that if he can win the GOP race for the Republican nomination, he can become Mississippi’s next governor.
Holliday, who when he retired from the Mississippi Army National Guard was a brigadier general, said that he is glad that he is considered an “outsider” in the race for the GOP nomination and for governor.
“I wear it as a badge of honor. I am not a politician,” he said.
“I think right now that people are sick and tired of the same old politicians, who have done nothing for us except take our money,” he said on Thursday after speaking on Wednesday to a tea party-style rally on the southlawn of the Capital in Jackson.
Joe Tegerdine, a Republican who is trying to unseat Democrat Congressman Gene Taylor in the 4th Congressional District in South Mississippi, also spoke to the group as did Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, considered to be one of Holliday’s opponents in the race for the GOP nomination, although Bryant has yet to announce.
The general election is way off, not till November 2011.
However, Holliday is already cranking up for a long, tough run.
Holliday said the crowd was small, but he thought the drive to speak at the rally was worth it. While in Jackson, he touched base at some other points, being introduced to the State Senate by Sen. Sid Albritton of Picayune as a supervisor from Pearl River County.
Bryant in his chores as lieutenant governor is President of and presides over the State Senate.
Admitting that he has a tall tree to climb to become governor, Holliday told the small crowd that it is not only the “greedy politicians” who have taken more and more of our freedoms away but citizens who want government to do more and more for them.
“It is easy to criticize the politicians in Washington,” said Holliday, “but I would point out that our freedoms have never been forcefully taken from us, but rather, our freedoms have been voluntarily surrendered by well-intentioned people under the pretense that it was for the greater good.”
Holliday said that as a supervisor he sees first-hand the growing dependence on government for everything. “Fixing a private road to a school bus turnaround, or burying a dead horse, you can see it all in county government; some people get upset with how some tax money is spent, but it seems sometimes that they get even more upset when it is not spent,” said Holliday at the Jackson rally.
Holliday is in his first term as supervisor of District 3. He is also a successful Poplarville businessman, owning a number of businesses, including a real estate company.
Holliday said that one of the greatest dangers is dependence on government for everything.
“If we are to regain and take back our freedoms, we must first take back the responsibilities for our own lives,” he told the crowd.
Holliday continues to make contact with supporters throughout the state. He said he is trying to form a grass-roots organization.
“I will not run my campaign from comfortable offices in Jackson. I will get out there right with the people, and let them know that I am one of them. I have contacts and people all over the state who have told me they will help me,” said Holliday.
He said in the coming months he plans to make more forays into North Mississippi. “I have potential supporters up there who are calling me and want me to come up there and talk to them,” he said on Thursday. “Word is getting out more quickly than I imagined.”
Although the election is over a year off, names floated as being in the Republican race are Bryant and Gulf Coast businessman Dave Dennis. On the Democratic side, names floated have been Attorney General Jim Hood, Greenville Mayor Heather Hudson, and Bill Luckett, a Delta businessman, who is a friend of actor Morgan Freeman.
Local News
Holliday slowly but surely building support
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PMHS GRADUATION
Picayune Memorial High School held its graduation ceremony Thursday night where the school’s valedictorian Jared Christopher Bates, left, and salutatorian Bryce Austin Warden gave their speeches.
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POPLARVILLE GRADUATION
Poplarville High School held its graduation ceremony Thursday night where the school’s valedictorian Rebecca Starke, left, and salutatorian Meagan Whitworth gave their speeches to the graduating class, parents and friends.
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Glade Woods dies
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POLICE MEMORIAL
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ACCIDENT
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