BIPEC- Business and Industry Political Education Committee-Page 3

05 Jun
2018

Candidates Qualified for House District 77 Special Election

Gov. Phil Bryant has set July 10, 2018, as the special election date for House District 77. The seat recently became vacant when Gov. Bryant appointed former Rep. Andy Gipson Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce. If no candidate receives a majority of votes on July 10, a runoff will be held on July 31. District 77 encompasses parts of Rankin and Simpson counties. Below is information we have been able to compile on those running. BIPEC will be reaching out to each candidate in the coming days to learn more about their backgrounds and campaigns.

Price Wallace (Mendenhall)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pricewallacemsdistrict77/

General manager of River Birch Farms
Wallace family ran Wallace Tractor at Mendenhall

Christopher R. “Chris” Purdum (Magee)

Website: https://www.purdumforrep.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/purdumforrep/

Attorney
Magee City Prosecutor
Former Mendenhall City Judge

Cemper Scott (Mendenhall)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cemperscott4rep77/

Served as town alderman for D’lo
Served 14 years with Mississippi Federation of Republican Women
Family owns and operates Scott Tractor and Equipment Company

Hayes Patrick (Puckett)

https://www.facebook.com/HayesPatrick77/

Owns Patrick’s Produce in Puckett
Served as an alderman in Puckett, MS
Owns Clear Creek Fitness

Cliff Brown (Magee)

Website: https://www.electcliffbrown.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Elect-Cliff-Brown-Representative-District-77-181698301874777/

Retired member of the Mississippi Air National Guard
Runs Jade’s Beauty Supplies & Fashions in Magee
Ran unsuccessfully for the Senate seat in District 35 in 2011 and 2015

20 Dec
2017

BIPEC Recommended Candidate Wins Election

Joel Carter, the BIPEC Recommended “Best for Business & Jobs” candidate, has won a Special Election for the Mississippi Senate. Carter will represent Senate District 49 which includes parts of Harrison County. This seat became open when former Senator Sean Tindell was appointed to the MS Court of Appeals by Governor Phil Bryant.

Joel Carter was declared the unofficial winner in Tuesday’s election with 1,968 votes or 52.7%. Dan Q. Carr finished second with 996 votes and Ron Meyers finished third with 767 votes.

Joel is the principal broker and owner of J. Carter & Co. Real Estate & Development, one of the fastest growing real estate agencies on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. He attended Gulfport High School and University of Southern Mississippi.

20 Nov
2017

Joel Carter “Best for Business & Jobs”

The Business and Industry Political Education Committee (BIPEC) has named Joel Carter as “Best for Business & Jobs” in an upcoming Special Election for the Mississippi Senate. Carter is running for Senate District 49 which includes parts of Harrison County. The election will be held on December 19 (a runoff, if needed, will be January 9, 2018). This seat became open when former Senator Sean Tindell was appointed to the MS Court of Appeals by Governor Phil Bryant.

BIPEC reviews backgrounds and key positions of candidates running for the Legislature. BIPEC disseminates research findings to members and educates its membership on the impact that elected officials could have on economic growth and MS employers. It is an independent, autonomous organization and is not affiliated with any political party or candidate. BIPEC actions are limited to advocacy, candidate research and candidate recommendations. BIPEC evaluates many factors while considering recommendations including potential election unity within the business/employer community.

Carter stated, “I am truly honored to be recognized as the “Best for Business & Jobs” candidate in this election. I want to be a champion for policies that promote economic development and jobs for the residents of Senate District 49 so that the Mississippi Gulf Coat continues to be an amazing place to work and live.”

Joel is the principal broker and owner of J. Carter & Co. Real Estate & Development, one of the fastest growing real estate agencies on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. He attended Gulfport High School and University of Southern Mississippi.

20 Oct
2017

Neil Whaley “Best for Jobs and Business”

BIPEC has named Neil Whaley as “Best for Business & Jobs” in an upcoming Special Election for the Mississippi Senate. The election will be on November 7 to fill the vacancy in Senate District 10 (portions of Marshall and Tate Counties). A runoff, if needed, will be Nov. 28. This seat became open when former Senator Bill Stone became public works director of Holly Springs.

20 Sep
2017

Dr. Randy Easterling Best for Business & Jobs

The Business and Industry Political Education Committee (BIPEC) has named Dr. Randy Easterling as “Best for Business & Jobs” in an upcoming Special Election for the Mississippi House of Representatives. Easterling is running for House District 54 which includes portions of Warren, Issaquena and Yazoo Counties. The election will be held on November 7. A runoff, if needed, will be held on Nov. 28.

15 Aug
2017

Missy McGee Best for Business & Jobs

The Business and Industry Political Education Committee (BIPEC) has named Missy McGee as “Best for Business & Jobs” in an upcoming Special Election for the Mississippi House of Representatives. McGee is running for House District 102 which includes parts of Forrest and Lamar Counties. The election will be held on September 12 (a runoff, if needed, will be Oct 3). This seat became open when former Rep. Toby Barker became Mayor of Hattiesburg.

BIPEC reviews backgrounds and key positions of candidates running for the Legislature. BIPEC disseminates research findings to members and educates its membership on the impact that elected officials could have on economic growth and MS employers. It is an independent, autonomous organization and is not affiliated with any political party or candidate. BIPEC actions are limited to advocacy, candidate research and candidate recommendations. BIPEC evaluates many factors while considering recommendations including potential election unity within the business/employer community.

McGee stated, “I am truly honored to be recognized as the “Best for Business & Jobs” candidate in this election. I want to be a champion for policies that promote economic development and jobs for the residents of House District 102 so that Hattiesburg continues to be an amazing place to work and live.”

Missy McGee is a lifelong resident of Hattiesburg. A graduate of The University of Southern Mississippi, Missy has served as an instructor at Southern Miss, worked as an administrator at her family’s paving company and spearheaded several important community initiatives. She and her husband, Sean, have two sons and attend Main Street United Methodist Church.

26 Jul
2017

BIPEC Recommended Candidate Wins Election

Stacey Wilkes, the BIPEC Recommended “Best for Business & Jobs” candidate, has won a Special Election for the Mississippi House of Representatives. Wilkes will represent House District 108 located in Pearl River County. This seat became vacant when former Representative Mark Formby of Picayune was appointed by Governor Phil Bryant to the three-member Workers Compensation Commission.

Stacey Wilkes was declared the unofficial winner last night with 1,375 votes or 50.5%. Tavish Kelly was second with 812 votes or 29.8%, and Jerry Frazier received 531 votes or 19.5%. There are still 32 affidavit votes to be validated and counted but if any of the affidavit votes are disqualified or if Stacey Wilkes receives only one of those votes, she will have received the 50 percent plus one vote of the total votes cast therefore avoiding a runoff.

Wilkes stated, “As a small business owner, it is truly an honor for me to be recommended as ‘Best for Business & Jobs’ by one of the most sought-after endorsements by a candidate seeking elected office. I look forward to working with the people of House District 108 as we look to strengthen and grow our economy.”

Stacey is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a Bachelor of Science degree in American Studies and a minor in Business Administration. With 17 years in the insurance industry, she holds an agent and adjuster’s license. In addition, she currently owns a successful small business, Right Minded, LLC, a public relations consultancy firm. You can learn more about her from this announcement in the Picayune Item http://www.picayuneitem.com/2017/05/stacey-wilkes-announces-candidacy-for-district-108-representative/.

13 Jul
2017

BIPEC Recommended Candidate – Stacey Wilkes

BIPEC has named Stacey Wilkes as “Best for Business & Jobs” in an upcoming Special Election for the Mississippi House of Representatives. Wilkes is running for House District 108 located in Pearl River County. The election will be held on July 25 (a runoff, if needed, will be Aug 15). This seat became vacant when former Representative Mark Formby of Picayune was appointed by Governor Phil Bryant to the three-member Workers Compensation Commission.

BIPEC reviews backgrounds and key positions of candidates running for the Legislature. BIPEC disseminates research findings to members and educates its membership on the impact that elected officials could have on economic growth and MS employers. It is an independent, autonomous organization and is not affiliated with any political party or candidate. BIPEC actions are limited to advocacy, candidate research and candidate recommendations. BIPEC evaluates many factors while considering recommendations including potential election unity within the business/employer community.

Wilkes stated, “As a small business owner, it is truly an honor for me to be recommended as ‘Best for Business & Jobs’ by one of the most sought-after endorsements by a candidate seeking elected office. I look forward to working with the people of House District 108 as we look to strengthen and grow our economy.”

Stacey is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a Bachelor of Science degree in American Studies and a minor in Business Administration. With 17 years in the insurance industry, she holds an agent and adjuster’s license. In addition, she currently owns a successful small business, Right Minded, LLC, a public relations consultancy firm. You can learn more about her from this announcement in the Picayune Item http://www.picayuneitem.com/2017/05/stacey-wilkes-announces-candidacy-for-district-108-representative/.

22 May
2017

BIPEC Releases 2017 LEGISLATOR “BUSINESS & JOBS” REPORT CARD

Click here to view the 2017 Business & Jobs Report Card.

During a press conference today at the Mississippi Capitol, BIPEC (Business and Industry Political Education Committee) released its Legislator “Business & Jobs” Report Card for the 2017 legislative session. The event, led by BIPEC Chairman Clay Wagner, recognized twenty-seven (27) senators and forty-one (41) representatives as “Business & Jobs Champions” for their work supporting economic growth, job development, and business-related issues for the legislative session this year.

Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and Speaker of the House Philip Gunn joined the large contingent of BIPEC supporters at the Capitol, with both acknowledging the BIPEC Report Card as a tool for accountability, and as an incentive and stimulus for jobs and economic development legislative action.

“BIPEC recognizes and appreciates the efforts of these Business & Jobs Champion Legislators, “Clay Wagner said, “For me and all of the members and supporters of BIPEC, the Legislator Report Card has long been a resource that we keep on our desk as a valued tool for the business community to see the measured performance of our legislators and their support for the growth of jobs and economic development in Mississippi.”

BIPEC is a 501c6 membership organization founded in 1980 by Mississippi’s business and professional leaders. BIPEC is a nonprofit association comprised of individuals, trade associations and companies who unite to protect and advance free enterprise through research, education, and member action. BIPEC’s purpose is to learn backgrounds, voting records and key positions of members and candidates for the Mississippi Legislature, Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. BIPEC disseminates credible research findings to BIPEC members, educates BIPEC’s membership network on the impact that legislator and judge-made decisions have on Mississippi’s economic growth, business attractiveness and general prosperity of the State’s employers. BIPEC publishes the Legislator Report Card annually.

At www.bipec.org you can view the interactive version of the report card. Click the heading links to switch between Representatives and Senators. The report card is sortable by grade, legislator name, party, and district. You can hover over the bill names to see a description of each bill. When you click on a legislator’s name, you will see a list of bills with links to the bill and to the individual votes recorded at the Mississippi Legislative Website. You can also search for legislators at the top of the page using any part of their name.

Click here to view the 2017 Business & Jobs Report Card.

03 Feb
2017

BIPEC releases new tool for campaign finance transparency

BIPEC has released a new tool for browsing and sorting data from campaign finance reports, filled at the Secretary of State’s website. The tool shows quick highlights from the reports with links to full details.

You can explore the new tool here: BIPEC Campaign Finance Tool.

BIPEC Updates