Mississippi's Democratic candidates for Governor are trying to garner support ahead of next week's primaries. Neither candidate is taking aim at the other, but instead setting their sights on the incumbent.
Democrats vying to become the next Governor of Mississippi went before the assembled masses of the Neshoba County Fair yesterday, in attempt to persuade residents to vote for them next Tuesday. While the primary will pit Democrat against Democrat, the candidates are largely ignoring each other and focusing on Mississippi's current Republican Governor Phil Bryant.
Vicki Slater, blamed Bryant and GOP leadership for many of the state's woes. She even blamed the Governor for foreign produce being sold in grocery stores.
"Why are Mississippians going to the Kroger and picking up a tomato that says grown in Mexico?" Slater asks. "What's wrong with Mississippi tomatoes. The federal government gave us NAFTA, but our Governor gave us the shaft-a"
Doctor Valerie Short, an Air Force veteran and OBGYN, is Slater's opponent. She has been running on a platform that would include expanding Medicaid and bringing the state in line with the Affordable Care Act. She says not increasing access to healthcare is killing Mississippians.
"Is this the quality outcome that we want for healthcare and education in Mississippi, grades D and F to continue?" asks Short. "Tell me, is this the example that we want for our doctors, the outcome of death for our residents?"
Both Slater and Doctor Short spoke before incumbent Phil Bryant, who largely ignored his opponents choosing instead to spend his time talking about economic gains during his tenure as Governor.
