The race for attorney general in Mississippi heated up during Wednesday’s round of speeches at the Neshoba County Fair with Democratic candidate Greta Kemp Martin challenging incumbent Lynn Fitch’s track record.
Of the concerns raised by Martin, the Jackson attorney attacked Fitch on a plethora of issues, including the current AG’s alleged lack of enforcement of campaign finance laws as well as seeking out information on Mississippi women who have traveled out of state for abortions.
“Her calendar is just too full as she seeks permission to track Mississippians’ health records across state lines,” Martin said during her 10 minutes at the podium. “She’s got way too much going on as she fights to rip away healthcare freedom and privacy. She’s just got too much going on while she inserts herself into elections of other states without concerning herself with what’s going on right here, right now in this election cycle.”
Martin went on to assert that Fitch has purposefully distanced herself from affairs concerning the state’s $77 million public welfare scandal.
In the ongoing case, Fitch has approved two different law firms to try and recover the lost money. Martin said, if elected, she would transition the case back from private attorneys to the attorney general’s office.
“I think the largest hole that Fitch has left is just the issue of corruption. I think we are all familiar with the scandal ongoing regarding our TANF funds, and the biggest question I get on the campaign trail is why hasn’t the attorney general gotten involved,” Martin said.
While Fitch gave minimal attention to Martin’s allegations during her time at the podium, she instead touted what strides she believes have been made since taking office in 2020.
“In the last four years…we’ve been investigating crime, we’ve been prosecuting those criminals, and at the same time, we’ve been supporting our victims of crime,” Fitch said. “Thank you for working with us on the opioid epidemic, human trafficking, and protecting our children, because when we stand strong together as a united front, we make a difference. We make a positive impact on the state of Mississippi.”
Even then, Martin accused Fitch of issuing factually incorrect press releases on human trafficking numbers. According to Fitch’s office, they have trained 317 officers, rescued 237 victims, and arrested 66 perpetrators since launching their “Be the Solution” campaign in 2021.
“We’ve looked at prosecution rates and incarceration records with regard to human trafficking,” Martin said. “What we have seen is that it doesn’t match up with the press releases she’s put out. It doesn’t match up with the human trafficking cases she’s taken credit for. Truly, it’s a bait and switch.”
Martin and Fitch, who are both running unopposed in the primary elections, are set to square off on Nov. 7.
