Covington NAACP hosts candidate forum

HOT COFFEE, Miss. (WDAM) - Nearly one dozen candidates for local and statewide political office spoke to voters at an event in Covington County Saturday.

The Covington County Branch of the NAACP hosted a candidate forum at the Hot Coffee Community Center.

Candidates for local races, such as justice court judge, supervisor, sheriff and circuit clerk spoke, as did those seeking statewide office, such as candidates for attorney general and commissioner of agriculture & commerce.

One candidate, running for the U.S. Senate in in 2024, also addressed attendees.

“Face to face means more to your voters, it means more to the candidate if they can meet face to face and that’s one of the things that we do as the NAACP is get the voters connected with the candidate and connect the candidate with the voters,” John Graves, president of the Covington County Branch of the NAACP.

The primary election is Aug. 8.

Graves says the NAACP will host another candidate forum in October, prior to the November general election.

The forum was co-sponsored by the Alpha Beta Theta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

The following candidates spoke at the forum:

• Robert “Brad” Bradford- Candidate for Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture & Commerce
• Melissa Duckworth-Candidate for re-election as circuit clerk
• Arthur Keys-Candidate for re-election as District Five supervisor
• Greta Kemp Martin-Candidate for attorney general
• Darrell Perkins-Candidate for re-election as sheriff
• Ty Pinkins-Candidate for U.S. Senate (2024)
• Fenton Pope-Candidate for re-election as District Four supervisor
• Terry Rogers-Candidate for Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture & Commerce
• Craig Sanford-Candidate for Justice Court judge
• Roger Wood Speed-Candidate for sheriff.

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