Fleming Touts U.S. Senate Candidacy
Fleming Touts U.S. Senate Candidacy
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Erik R. Fleming, District 72, says he could help change Mississippi for the better if elected.
As the 2006 Democratic Nominee for the U.S. Senate, Fleming, who currently represents District 72 in the Mississippi House of Representatives, told members of the Oktibbeha County Federation of Democratic Women that the primary reason he should be senator is because Mississippi needs someone who will bring wealth to the state.
"Today is a good day to be a Democrat," Fleming said.
"If you've been watching the news, then you know America needs a change," he said.
Fleming said his Republican opponent, Trent Lott, who has been in the U.S. Congress representing Mississippi for 33 years, has been in Washington so long that Lott is "banking that people will vote for him because they know his name."
"Mississippi can't do that anymore," he said. "We've got a coach in Washington that has been making us lose for years. We need a new coach and his name is Erik Fleming."
It is time for Mississippi to show initiative, he said. There needs to be a senator in Washington that knows what Mississippi needs, like better opportunity for jobs and an increase in minimum wage, he said.
In order for communities to build wealth, he said, the state needs to teach financial literacy, because no one wants to be in last place.
Fleming said as U.S. senator he wants expand health care, fully fund the No Child Left Behind Act in order to improve education and protect Social Security. Fleming said he also wanted to vote for an increase in minimum wage since 13 percent of Mississippians make minimum wage and 25 percent live below poverty.
A OCFDW member asked Fleming if there will be a debate between him and his opponent Lott in the future.
Fleming said he hopes to have a debate in October, but he told the organization not to get their hopes up because he does not think Lott will debate against him since Lott "doesn't debate very well." "If he makes the mistake to debate me, then you will be very proud to be a democrat," Fleming said.
Oktibbeha County Chancery Clerk Monica Banks said Fleming addressed some issues during the meeting that are very important to this state. "He's the Mississippi Democratic voice that we need," Banks said. "If he succeeds, and we hope he does, then he will serve us well in the Capitol."
Fleming is currently serving his second consecutive term as a member of the state House of Representatives. Fleming serves as vice chair of the Enrolled Bills Committee, the Conservation and Water Resources, Ports, Harbors and Airports Committees, the committee for Judiciary B, Juvenile Justice Committee and the Transportation Committee.
Fleming is an abstinence educator with the Mississippi Community Development Corporation, and he is a member of several organizations including the NAACP, the Mississippi Faith-Based Coalition for Community Renewal and the Mississippi Families for Kids.
OCFDW President Carolyn West said the organization has been interested in Fleming speaking about his U.S. Senate candidacy. At the meeting, the OCFDW handed out voter registration forms, flyers on how to contact state representatives and had a new voting machine set up for demonstration by Circuit Clerk Angie McGinnis.
The OCFDW was formed in May 1990 by a group of women who felt a need to participate more actively in the Democratic Party. The main goals of the organization are to become politically informed, provide needed services to the community and to support the local, state and national Democratic Party.
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