2022 Madison County Mayoral Forum held
JACKSON, Tenn. — Madison County mayoral candidates tackled issues in the county.
Both the Democratic candidate and the Republican candidates answered a list of questions in a public forum on Tuesday.
Among the topics discussed were the importance of growth in the county, workforce shortage, education, and infrastructure.
Three candidates are running for the Republican seat for the General Election.
Republican candidate AJ Massey says if elected, he would like to bring new ideas to the table.
“We rank 95th in the state out of 95 counties in several, several categories. We can’t do things the same way and expect to get different results. That is the definition of insanity. I am bringing a new idea, a new way forward. I think we can’t go any lower than the 95th. So lets get some fresh eyes, fresh ideas and bump that 95th up,” Massey said.
Also running on the Republican ballot is John Newman.
Newman says his experience in government will set him apart from other candidates.
“I think if you were going to hire somebody to run any company, whether that is from a five person to a 500 person company, you would hire somebody that actually had experience working within that industry and within that company. My experience and my training in county government is going to be above any of those that are running,” Newman said.
Gary Pickens, the third candidate on the Republican ballot, says there are certain traits the county needs in a mayor.
And he says he fits those qualifications.
“The person that you want to lead Madison County should have these leadership qualities: Bearing, courage, decisiveness, dependability. Each one of those leadership traits are exceedingly important for the person that is going to lead this county,” Pickens said.
Early voting for the Primary Election is open until Thursday. Primary Election Day is scheduled for May 3.
Find more interviews with the candidates here.
