Candidate spotlight: David Chism

As the coronavirus pandemic sends traditional schooling online, schools throughout rural Mississippi have struggled to keep students learning with limited options for high speed internet. Lowndes County native and Greenaway Pool Service founder David M. Chism is running for House District 37 to change that.

“The biggest thing that I’m wanting to push for is going to be the proliferation of broadband internet,” he said. “When the virus hit, the need for it was very much highlighted, and in many ways it was a disaster. Nobody could have been prepared for COVID-19, but I think we could’ve

been prepared better than we were.”

Chism, who is running on a campaign of Freedom, Faith and Family, said he’d been encouraged by 4-County Electric’s efforts to expand broadband as well as the state and federal appropriations to offer grants to speed up the expansion of digital infrastructure. However, he said there is a wrong way to bring internet to rural areas.

“A big government apparatus is not the way to pay for it,” he said. “I believe in privatization.”

Chism said it’s would not be fair to the taxpayers for the government to write a check to pay for broadband expansion. Instead, he said, the private sector should be encouraged to come in and build profitable digital infrastructure.

“What I would like to see is infrastructural investment in the digital network so that the kids will have to do their assignments without having to

drive to Grandma’s house in the city to get a good connection,” he said.

Chim’s identifies as fiscally conservative, ardently pro-life and a supporter of the second amendment. He said he believes law enforcement needs proper funding, history should be preserved and the government should generally leave people alone.

House District 37 includes parts of Oktibbeha, Clay and Lowndes counties. Chism will appear on the ballot alongside his opponents in a special election Sept. 22.