The area’s candidates for state senator are shaking hands and sharing platforms in the crunch time preceding elections. Brookhaven is in Senate District 39, which includes all of Lincoln and Lawrence counties as well as portions of Simpson and Copiah counties.

This year, incumbent Sally Doty will face fellow Republican Mike Campbell in the primary election Aug. 4. Democrat Michael Smith will face the primary winner in the general election Nov. 3. All candidates live in Brookhaven.

Mike Campbell (R) has a background in business and the medical field as well as eight years in law enforcement. Campbell has worked with hospitals for 20 years and has owned/operated his own police supply and firearms company, Christian daycare and pre-school and two medical businesses. Campbell said his businesses have been highly regulated by federal and state government and other organizations and this experience navigating various fields make him knowledgeable of how government works.

Campbell said his work in law enforcement, courts and experience with troubled youth make him uniquely qualified and has shaped his views about the position of senator.

“[The job of senator would be] the opportunity to […] get back to what is sorely lacking [in Jackson],” Campbell said. “We must get back to what the country, this nation was founded on �� the principles we have gone so far from.”

Campbell said he would have a common sense approach and has a heartfelt conviction that in order for the country to improve we must return to what the founding fathers envisioned.

“We must return to our founding principles and the acknowledgement that the only one who is truly supreme is God,” Campbell said. “I will not accept anything from lobbyists — if someone has something of value [I will listen but] I will not be told how to vote on anything in Jackson. I’m not afraid to butt heads, and I don’t seek to but it will all be done for the people.”

Campbell said younger generations have a lack of knowledge about and interest in the American experience as it was meant to be. He said he wants to address the biggest issue, the breakdown of the family. Campbell said he supports mentoring programs, as many young men now do not have anyone to teach them respect, responsibility and “the value of being a man.”

“[I support the] basic unit of social structure and promoting things to increase the value of the family. It’s all in vain until we get back to [that],” he said. “[But] throwing billions of dollars at social and educational programs — none of it matters until you inspire the heart.”

Campbell is a member of Fair River Baptist Church with his wife Mary. They have two daughters.

Current District 39 Sen. Sally Doty (R) is seeking re-election. Doty said she believes she has built a good foundation in Jackson and wants to build upon it further. She said with her experiences serving as senator and her background as an attorney, she has the skills and abilities to best represent the district.

“I’m not going to need any training wheels when I get back to the Capitol,” Doty said. “I know exactly how the process works. I’ve presented bills on the floor, participated in high-stakes conference committee negotiations and leadership trusts me, so I will have a voice for community.”

“My early law practice really prepared me for this because I did a lot of corporate and transactional work,” Doty said. “And then in Brookhaven I did litigation and defended county and city governments, so I’ve seen a lot of different sides of the law.”

Doty said her priorities if re-elected are jobs, education, healthcare and infrastructure. She said she’d focus on how to support existing industries in the district and how to attract new business and industry. While continuing to work towards increased funding for education, Doty said also seeking good results and outcomes with education is crucial. She said policy makers must look into why there aren’t good results, which includes the students’ family environment.

Doty cited improving infrastructure, especially with two-lane roads that aren’t helped by state funds like highways and interstates are, as a point of interest. Also, problems with access to healthcare in Mississippi have positioned the state at the forefront for telemedicine. Doty said she wants to support this venture that could be very beneficial cost-wise for the state and of course for patients. Historic tax credits that help cities revamp downtown and historic areas is something that needs to be extended, Doty said.

Doty said representing Brookhaven and Lincoln County is an honor, and it is a point of pride for her to see so many residents from the area involved in statewide groups and work in Jackson.

Doty said she doesn’t support raising taxes to make goals happen and believes Mississippi can use money in a smarter way.

Doty is a member of First Methodist Church and has three children.

Michael Smith (D) has spent most of his adult life working in civil service. After retiring as a firefighter with the Brookhaven Fire Department, he took on a role as a lobbyist working with legislators on various matters including wildlife and forestry and education. He has worked in that capacity in Jackson for 16 years.

“With my over 16 years of working [as a lobbyist] with the state and federal government, and working with our legislature, I’ve learned the inner workings of our state government,” Smith said, “how it works and how you get things accomplished.”

Through his work in Jackson, Smith said he has developed good working relationships with House representatives and senators, the governor and lieutenant governor. He said he is familiar with the important issues.

Smith said his focuses are on education, healthcare and economic development. Smith said he feels there is more effort to be put forth to bring jobs and protect area schools. He said Brookhaven sits in an area with great opportunities for industry, yet it does not seem that there are enough people fighting to bring industry and businesses here.

“I want to get in there and help, fight for and ask for jobs and go out and seek jobs to come to this area. I feel that’s what a senator should do,” Smith said. “That person has to look out for the well-being of our community. We have to look out for our hospitals and our children.

“I would like to see a community center, swimming pools, brought to this area under rural development grants,” Smith said. “And there are grants out there for these types of things, but you have to have someone willing to seek them out. […] To try to bring things to this area, entice jobs to this area, and I feel like that hasn’t been done. Those are my goals and that’s why I’m running for the office of senator.”

Michael and his wife, Gwen, have four children and are members of Damascus Church.