Candidates vying for local and statewide political offices spoke to the members of the Greenwood Voters League Wednesday night asking for support in their respective campaigns.
"I've been in Greenwood all my life. I was raised here," said Keith Peeples, who is running as an independent for Leflore County coroner.
Peeples, 54, a probation and parole officer with the Mississippi Department of Corrections in Greenwood, and Jacob Ray, an attorney with the state Attorney General's Office, who is a Democratic candidate for state auditor, spoke to the league.
Peeples said he's long considered running for the coroner's position.
"I decided that this year was the time. That's what I'm doing here tonight," he said.
A 1975 graduate of Greenwood High School, Peeples said he gained valuable experience by working as a certified emergency medical technician with a Greenwood ambulance company for eight years. He also served as a member of the U.S. Army Reserve.
Peeples said the Army also provided him with valuable training.
"When I left home, I was a mama's boy. The Army taught me the difference between a mama's boy and a man. They taught me how to stand on my own two feet," he said.
In 1985, Peeples joined the Greenwood Police Department.
After that, he worked for the Leflore County Sheriff's Department from 1993 to 2000. He then joined the Department of Corrections.
Peeples said he considered current Leflore County Coroner Debra Sanders, a Democrat, as a personal friend.
He will face Sanders in the Tuesday, Nov. 6, general election.
Peeples said he admired James Hankins, the county's former coroner, and told him that one day he wanted his job.
Peeples is the son of the late Floyd Peeples, who served as a Leflore County Justice Court judge and as the county's Civil Defense director.
Peeples told the crowd, "I've been involved in politics all my life."
He said he would have two deputy coroners, one black and one white, to serve under him. Peeples also said he would be attuned first and foremost to the families of the deceased and to their needs.
Ray, 29, of Jackson, formerly of McComb, said he was excited to run as a Democrat for state auditor.
"I am a Democrat and I make no apologies for it," Ray said.
As an attorney, Ray works as a legislative liaison with the state legislators on issues of importance. This year, Ray said, he was involved with the issue of fully funding public education.
He also has experience working in the Opinions Division of the Attorney General's office.
"I've worked with chancery clerks. I've worked with circuit clerks, boards of supervisors, board attorneys, school boards, city councils, mayors and state agencies.
I've worked with them on complex issues in complying with state law," Ray said.
Ray said he would never shirk from standing up for the people of Mississippi and what is right.
"In order to lay down your head at night, you can't look at things in a political prism. You've got to do what's right no matter what the consequences," he said.
Ray said he views his job as auditor in simple terms.
"Save money, cut corners and put money that is being wasted back into our education system, our health system, into our roads and bridges," he said.
Ray faces two party opponents, Todd Brand of Bailey and Mike Sumrall of Mount Olive in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, Aug. 7.
Ray said he received his law degree from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., in 2004. He attended the University of Mississippi for his undergraduate degree.
