MIDTERM SPECIAL REPORT: WDAM talks to 4th Congressional District candidate Johnny Dupree

PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) - With almost two weeks until the midterm elections, WDAM is speaking with the Democratic and Republican candidates who hope to represent Mississippi in the 4th Congressional District.

Democratic nominee Johnny DuPree is the former Hattiesburg mayor who is facing off against Republican challenger Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell and Libertarian candidate Alden Johnson.

After traveling the district on the campaign trail, Dupree said he believes many voters have the same priorities.

“What keeps jumping out is healthcare, education and jobs,” Dupree said.

Dupree is no stranger to elections. In 1991, he was elected to the Forrest County Board of Supervisors, where he served for 10 years before being elected mayor of Hattiesburg in 2001. He was re-elected in 2005 and 2009.

Dupree also ran for Mississippi governor in 2011 and secretary of state in 2019 but was unsuccessful.

Dupree is now vying for a seat that has been in Republican control since 2011 when Steven Palazzo defeated longtime Democratic Rep. Gene Taylor.

“We can’t continue to be where we are, Mike,” Dupree said. “I think that is what I have gathered from people all across this district - that you keep putting the same people in there, you get the same results, the same votes, the same policies.”

Pointing to job creation during his time as the Hub City’s leader, Dupree said he’ll work with federal, state and local leaders to create policies that foster growth.

“The opportunities are in solar and wind, looking at our environment, because you and I, you may not believe it, but at some point, we are going to have to make a decision that we are going to have to look at other alternative ways of fuel,” DuPree said.

With the midterm election coming during sky-high inflation, however, many Mississippians will vote with their wallets in mind.

Opponents of green energy policies worry about the costs associated with the shift.

While Dupree sees the importance of alternative fuels, he said he doesn’t see doing away with fossil fuels altogether.

“There is always a cost, but you have to look at the end product,” Dupree said. “It is called an investment is what it is called, Mike. If you invest on the front end, you start talking about jobs. Well, that is what you are talking about. If you invest in the front end, jobs on the back end, but you also save the environment.”

After the fall of Roe V. Wade, healthcare, especially for women, is also expected to be another motivator for voters this November. DuPree said he believes reproductive healthcare options should be between providers and patients.

He also supports capping prescription costs and the expansion of Medicare, proposing a trial run for a limited time.

“If we are healthier, we’ve proven it,” Dupree said. “Then if at the end of five years, if the needle doesn’t move, okay, let’s change it. But I think there’s got to be some compromise.”

Federal lawmakers may also consider gun control policies with continued mass shootings across the country.

In a state with so much support for the second amendment, Dupree said he wants to see what he described as “common sense” gun control policies that would keep firearms out of the hands of potentially violent and mentally unstable people.

He also questioned the need for assault weapons.

“This is a hunting area,” Dupree said. “You start talking about guns; those are people who like to hunt and fish. I don’t know anybody who is using no assault weapons killing deer because they are no good after you kill them.”

Dupree remains busy on the campaign trail from the coast to the Pine belt as he hopes to gain the support he needs to return to public office.

“I tell people all the time, look, put me in there, and if in two years I don’t do good, throw me out,” Dupree said. “We don’t have that long to wait.”

WDAM is speaking with Republican candidate Mike Ezell about his campaign on Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 6 p.m. Be sure to tune in!

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