With municipal elections taking place across Mississippi this year, a Rankin County lawmaker has decided to run for mayor of Brandon.
Republican Rep. Fred Shanks announced in a Facebook post that he had already filed the proper paperwork to seek office. He will be challenging fellow Republican Butch Lee, who is seeking his fourth term at city hall.
“I will take my statewide rolodex and legislative skillset and apply those to the office of Mayor,” Shanks wrote, noting his full platform will be released in the coming weeks. “My plan is to immediately work on the public works department, take a deep dive into the current project list as well as current contracts.”
As for Shanks’ experience, the businessman was first elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives in 2017 and is in his second full term serving District 60. Shanks previously served as chair of the House Constitution Committee and is heading into his second session as chair of the House Rules Committee.
Further, Shanks touted in the announcement: “I have personally passed multiple pieces of legislation, worked on Mississippi’s seven-billion-dollar budget, and ran my committees efficiently.”
While Shanks will have to balance his duties at the capitol and on the campaign trail, he won’t be the only lawmaker trying to perform the juggling act. Sen. John Horhn, a Democrat, announced in October that he would be challenging embattled Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba as the field vying for mayor of the capital city continues to grow.
The qualifying period for municipal candidates opened Thursday with primary elections set for April 1 and the general election set for June 3. The new term for municipal officials will begin July 1.
