SUPPORTING THE PRESIDENT

Many may remember Whit Hughes from his days on the hardwood playing basketball for Mississippi State, but the former Bulldog sixth man is looking to be the top dog in the District 3 race for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Hughes, 42, officially announced his candidacy a couple of weeks ago and will seek to fill the seat of Rep. Gregg Harper, who revealed earlier this year that he would not seek re-election in 2018.

His 2018 bid for Capitol Hill will be his first attempt at office.

“I’m encouraged by all the positive feedback,” Hughes told the Starkville Daily News on Monday. “The primary is on June 5, so you have a really tight window to run a campaign. Fortunately, for me, I enjoy great relationships with everyone in the district and will be able to activate networks of support at a high level and looking forward to the weeks and months ahead.”

Since 2013, Hughes has worked as president of the Baptist Health Foundation and as chief development officer of Baptist Health Systems.

Prior to his career in health care, the Madison Republican worked on numerous campaigns and served as former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour’s finance chairman during his campaign in 2003.

Along with his behind the scenes work in politics, Hughes also served as deputy director of the Mississippi Development Authority, before setting out on his own to create a consulting firm.

STARKVILLE CONNECTIONS

“Mississippi State is a special place for my family,” Hughes said. “My wife and I both graduated from here. I played baseball and basketball here.”

Hughes played basketball for MSU for five years, helping the Bulldogs to the 1995 Sweet Sixteen and the 1996 Final Four. He also played baseball for two years.

“Any level of success I’ve had in life, whether it was on the basketball court or otherwise, personally and professionally, it’s been because of my willingness to work harder than everybody else,” Hughes said.

Hughes said, if elected, he looks forward to the opportunity to partner and collaborate with MSU.

“This university and Starkville and the Golden Triangle is very important to the state, not only in education, but in workforce development,” Hughes said. “Those are an economic development asset as well.”

Hughes has been married to his wife Shelley, also an MSU graduate, for 20 years and the couple have three children: 15-year-old Phillip, 13-year-old Pax and 10-yearold Presley.

Hughes praised the efforts of President Donald Trump and said he hopes for the president to be successful so those gains can be felt in his district.

“I want him to be successful, because I know that gives our country and state an opportunity to be successful, and let’s be honest, there’s been some really positive movement in the first year of his administration,” Hughes said. “Whether you are talking about tax reform, cutting regulations, judges, some health care improvements and plus, he’s generated some dialogue about the importance of in-

frastructure.

“I’ve already been in every county in this district and that’s really on people’s minds. Infrastructure, road and bridge issues, which is not only about economic development, but on a fundamental level that’s about quality of life.”

THE FIELD WIDENS

Hughes has already been busy on the campaign trail. According to the candidate, he has already traveled 2,500 miles in the first two weeks since announcing his candidacy.

“It’s real important for us to be in every county in the

district as soon as possible, because that’s what I’ve been talking about, the importance of a campaign that involves all 24 counties in the district,” Hughes said. “I think that’s what voters want, I think that’s what they deserve and they want someone to campaign that way and they want someone to serve in congress that way.”

While Hughes may be burning up the roads to secure as many votes as possible, other candidates continue to enter the fold in the hopes of becoming Harper’s successor.

So far, Hughes is set to face off in the Republican Primary against Covington County businessman Perry Parker and Madison and Rankin District Attorney Michael Guest.