HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Incumbent Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny Dupree and Challenger Dave Ware will be back in court Friday morning for more hearings in their court fight over that office. Several motions are expected to be filed, including one for a special election.
Dupree is back at work today, conducting city business and has decided not to make any comments until after the hearings.
Ware released the following statement Wednesday about the election trial that was declared a mistrial earlier this week.
“First, I want to thank the people of Hattiesburg for their patience and steadfast determination to ensure that honesty and integrity are upheld in our city. Yesterday did not end the way we believed it would. However, we know that over the course of this trial, we accomplished a great thing for Hattiesburg.
While our original intent was not to uncover unseemly behavior, we believe we did the right thing. The fact is that Hattiesburg deserves better. The people of this city deserve better than the completely unacceptable practices that were exposed in this trial.
Today is a new day in Hattiesburg. Our message has always been ‘Forward Together,’ focusing on increasing opportunity for every resident of this great city. We believe that is the future Hattiesburg deserves. We believe that it is attainable. None of us know where life will lead us, but it’s our job to be ready for what comes our way. Our mission is now about more than a single election. It’s clear that we have some work to do.”
