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Eric Powell
Eric Powell (b. June 6, 1966) was a 2015 Democratic candidate for District 4 of the Mississippi State Senate.
Powell is a former Democratic member of the Mississippi State Senate, representing District 4 from 2008 to 2012. Powell was a candidate for the Mississippi State Senate in 2003, but was not elected.
Biography
Powell attended Wingate University, the University of Mississippi, and Northeast Community College. His professional experience includes working as Quality Control at a Pollution Control Agency.
Committee assignments
2010-2011
In the 2010-2011 legislative session, Powell served on these committees:
- Drug Policy Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Finance Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Forestry Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Labor Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Ports and Marine Resources Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Tourism Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Committee, Mississippi Senate
Campaign themes
2011
On his campaign website, Powell outlined his position on the following issues:
- Helping unemployed Mississippians: "During my first year in office, I sponsored a bill that raised the weekly unemployment benefit to $235 a week. That $25 weekly increase has helped ease the financial pain of thousands of Mississippians who have struggled to find work in the worst recession in decades. At the same time, I have worked with local and state economic development officials to lure new industry, attract new jobs and save existing jobs..."[1]
- Strengthening drug laws: "After learning more about the dan- gers and increasing popularity of “bath salts,” I knew we had to do something immediately to prevent similar problems in the future. I joined with other lawmakers and passed a bill this year to outlaw the synthetic drug."[1]
- Supporting local firefighters: "Volunteer firefighters receive no compensation for their work. Yet they put their safety and lives on the line every day. I have secured funding to provide volunteer fire depart- ments with fire trucks and equipment they need."[1]
- Balancing our budget: "I and other lawmakers have funded state government and state services at the highest possible level every year with a balanced budget. I am immensely proud of that, especially as we watch the mounting debt and deficit problems that plague our national government. That isn’t happening here. And I will continue to make sure it won’t happen here."[1]
- Supporting state employees: "Our employees are loyal. They sometimes work under difficult, stressful circumstances. And because of that, I strongly support keeping them under the protec- tion of the State Personnel Board. I also support the Public Employees Retirement System of Mississippi. I oppose any and all efforts to change or close PERS."[1]
- Funding our schools: "We need to give our schools exactly what they need in order to be successful and prepare our children to be the leaders of tomorrow...We still have a lot to do to improve public education at all levels in Mississippi. And I give you my word I am as dedicated to that issue as I have ever been. I will do anything and everything within my power to make sure we offer our children a top-notch, quality public education. They deserve nothing less."[1]
Elections
2015
- See also: Mississippi State Senate elections, 2015
Elections for the Mississippi State Senate took place in 2015. A primary election was held on August 4, 2015, and the general election was held on November 3, 2015. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 27, 2015.[2] Eric Powell was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Incumbent Rita Parks was unopposed in the Republican primary. Parks defeated Powell in the general election.
| Mississippi State Senate, District 4 General Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Rita Parks Incumbent |
60.2% | 10,386 | |
| Democratic | Eric Powell | 39.8% | 6,860 | |
| Total Votes | 17,246 | |||
2011
- See also: Mississippi State Senate elections, 2011
Powell lost re-election to the Mississippi Senate District 4. He ran unopposed in the primary on August 2, 2011. Rita Parks ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Powell lost to Parks in the general election on November 8, 2011.[3]
| Mississippi State Senate, District 4 General Election, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Rita Parks |
50.7% | 9,050 | |
| Democratic | Eric Powell Incumbent | 49.3% | 8,798 | |
| Total Votes | 17,848 | |||
2007
- See also: Mississippi State Senate elections, 2007
On November 6, 2007, Eric Powell ran for District 4 of the Mississippi State Senate, beating James Moffitt.[4]
Eric Powell raised $68,853 for his campaign.[5]
| Mississippi Senate, District 4 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Eric Powell (D) | 8,571 | 51.5% | ||
| James Moffitt (R) | 8,074 | 48.5% | ||
Campaign finance summary
Ballotpedia currently provides campaign finance data for all federal- and state-level candidates from 2020 and later. We are continuously working to expand our data to include prior elections. That information will be published here as we acquire it. If you would like to help us provide this data, please consider donating to Ballotpedia.
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Powell and his wife, Gwendolyn, have three children.
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Eric + Powell + Mississippi + Senate"
See also
- Mississippi State Senate
- Mississippi State Senate District 4
- Mississippi State Senate elections, 2015
- Mississippi State Legislature
External links
- Mississippi State Legislature
- Legislative profile on Project Vote Smart
- Biography on Project Vote Smart
- Campaign Contributions: 2009, 2007, 2003
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Eric Powell for Senate, "Ideology," accessed September 7, 2011
- ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "2015 Elections Calendar," accessed December 2, 2014
- ↑ Mississippi Department of State, "2011 Official State Senate Candidate List," accessed April 2, 2015
- ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "Mississippi State Senate official election results for 2007," accessed April 2, 2015
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Report on Powell's 2007 campaign contributions," accessed April 2, 2015
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Mississippi State Senate District 4 2008–2012 |
Succeeded by Rita Parks (R) |
