FLOWOOD - Jim Roberts takes his place at the podium, fumbles with his glasses and sells himself as a down-home, yet qualified, candidate for lieutenant governor.
Speaking recently to about 30 people in a private dining room at River Oaks Hospital, Roberts warms up the crowd with a few jokes at his own expense, and each one draws laughs.
For the next 30 minutes, Roberts discusses his political background, including stints as a state Supreme Court justice, commissioner of public safety and chancery judge.
He also informs the group that he's from a blue-collar family in which he was the first to receive a college degree.
By the end his remarks, Roberts has swayed at least one voter.
Pam Stamper, a hospital employee, says she didn't know who she wanted as the next lieutenant governor until she heard about his' experience in state government.
"I feel like somebody that has that much background is really capable of getting the job done," Stamper said.
Roberts has been racking up miles on his Buick and Ford pickup, making stops at points from Corinth to the Gulf Coast. He's hoping to win more votes on Aug. 5 than his Democratic challengers, state Sen. Barbara Blackmon, D-Canton, and businessman Troy Brown of Greenwood.
Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck doesn't have a Republican opponent and will be on the Nov. 4 general ballot.
"We are all qualified, but we all come from a very different perspective," Roberts said. "… I have a wide variety of educational experience, work experiences, life experiences which I think makes me better suited."
The last time the 58-year-old Roberts, who works as a mediator and teaches part-time at the University of Southern Mississippi, was on the campaign trail was in 1999 when he unsuccessfully ran for governor. This is his 10th campaign, and he has won six elections.
Roberts believes his humble beginnings help him identify with most Mississippians. His mother gave birth to him at home without the aid of a doctor and he grew up in a household that had no health insurance.
He recalls the excruciating pain of having his foot inserted into a wash pan of kerosene to kill the germs after he stepped on a rake. He says his mother was bitten by a poisonous copperhead snake, but couldn't see a doctor for treatment.
"I've seen people who needed to go to the doctor or needed health care and couldn't get it. I understand we need to have health care and it has to be accessible," he said.
He's been married twice. His first marriage ended in divorce in 1973. His second wife, Rose, a former social worker who was with him on the road in 1999, now stays close to their Pontotoc home in case she's needed by one of Roberts' disabled parents or her disabled daughter.
During his campaigning, Roberts has heard from state employees concerned about insurance "or some other type of compensations," and residents who are interested in education, the economy, safety and spending in government.
"Come January, there might be the greatest budget crisis we've seen in a long time," Roberts said. "I've worked in a state government at a time of budget crisis, and it's going to be tough to fund everything that needs funding. You need somebody in place who can and will listen. Who can and will make the hard decisions."
Roberts wanted to seek this year. He had his eye on the attorney general's post this year. That didn't happen, though, because Attorney General Mike Moore didn't announce his plans to leave office until February, and by then Roberts had told many supporters he was running for lieutenant governor.
"I've been interested in the lieutenant governor's position all my adult life. This is not a fly-by-night thing for me," Roberts said. "As a result of my career work, many people encouraged me to run for attorney general. It became clear to me though, without criticism of anyone, I didn't appear to be General Moore's designated choice, and that's fine with me."
Moore has contributed money to Jim Hood, the only Democratic candidate for attorney general.
Joe Parker, political science professor at the USM, said Roberts appeals to "blue-collar whites. Probably, he'd appeal more to males than to females."
Roberts said his appeal is broader than that.
"I have been appointed by Republicans. I have been appointed by Democrats," Roberts said. "I appeal, I believe to mainstream Mississippi, regardless of age, sex, economic class or anything else. I'm not to interested in the extreme left or extreme right."
Roberts isn't faring as well as Blackmon in campaign contributions. His year-to-date fund-raising is $184,214, compared with Blackmon's $558,753. Roberts has $65,531 in cash on hand. Blackmon has $128,276.
Roberts said he isn't wealthy, and he's willing to take any legal contributions.
"It's true that I have taken money from trial lawyers. It's also true I've taken money from business lawyers, business people, individual teachers and everybody else who will give me money," Roberts said. "That does not obligate me to vote a trial lawyer agenda nor any other agenda. That obligates me to try to do what is absolutely right and correct in my opinion in dealing with any issue that comes up."
Born in Pontotoc County to a mechanic father and a mother who worked as a school cafeteria manager, Roberts took jobs as a waiter, construction worker and insurance salesman to pay for his education at Millsaps College, the University of Mississippi Law School and Mississippi State University.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
