Candidate enters District 4 supervisor race

By By Lynette Wilson / staff writer
Aug. 15, 2002
Melvin Wright is the first candidate to qualify for the Nov. 5 special election to fill the District 4 seat on the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors.
Wright, 63, a 30-year resident of District 4, hopes to finish the unexpired term of the late Supervisor Q.V. Sykes, who died last month. Sykes' wife, Laura, is serving as interim supervisor until the election.
Wright said he spent 42 years with Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center, working his way into management, where he oversaw 16 to 18 orderlies at a time.
Wright, a Democrat, said running for political office is a new experience. His biggest issues are economic development and education: "Lauderdale County needs more, better-paying jobs."
Wright said he plans to blanket the neighborhoods with flyers and pamphlets, and speak in churches.
DID YOU KNOW?
The election: A Nov. 5 special election to fill the unexpired term for the District 4 seat on the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors. The job pays $37,434 a year.
The district: District 4 includes southwest Meridian and southwest Lauderdale County.
How to qualify: Anyone interest in running must qualify by Sept. 6, at 5 p.m., by submitting a petition with signatures from 15 qualified voters. Petitions can be picked up at the Circuit Clerk's office on the first floor of the Lauderdale County Courthouse.