Mississippi Democrats Select New Leadership: Jamie Franks Chairman

Franks vows to build on momentum that has seen Travis Childers win U.S. House seat and Ronnie Musgrove poised to win the U.S. Senate

From a press release:

Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Jamie Franks vowed today to build on momentum that will elect Democrats to national office this fall, city office next year and state, district and county office in 2011.

Franks, elected chairman at the first meeting of the Mississippi Democratic Party State Executive Committee for the 2008-2012 term, said the party already has scored a major victory when Travis Childers won the 1st Congressional District U.S. House seat in May.

And with former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove running a strong race for the U.S. Senate, Franks said, the party is in a great position of taking back control of the Senate seat the late, longtime U.S. Sen. John Stennis held until January 1989.

Democrat Erik Fleming is running strong against incumbent GOP U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, while Democrat Joel Gill is running for the open 3rd District U.S. House seat. Incumbent U.S. Reps. Bennie Thompson, 2nd District, and Gene Taylor, 4th District, also are running for re-election.

“People are tired of the same, old, worn-out Republican rhetoric,” Franks said. “People want change.

“They want elected officials who will work hard. They want commonsense solutions to major issues that include funding Medicaid without taxing the sick, reducing skyrocketing gasoline prices, turning around the failing national economy and ending the war in Iraq.

“Democratic candidates offer realistic solutions to these problems. Democrats are on the move in Mississippi and across this nation. And we will make the Mississippi Democratic Party relevant to the lives of all Mississippians.”

Franks, 35, who served in the state House from 1996-2008, was one of several state party officers elected today by the State Executive Committee; all will serve a four-year term. Other party officers chosen today include the following:

Vice chair: Barbara Blackmon, an attorney in Canton and a former state senator
Executive vice chair: Ed Nave of Scooba, chairman of the Kemper County Democratic Executive Committee
Secretary: Mona Pittman, an attorney in Batesville and chairman of the Panola County Democratic Executive Committee
Treasurer: Paul Winfield, an attorney in Vicksburg
Parliamentarian: Earle Banks, an attorney and state representative from Jackson