Mississippi House 110 Race: 21-year-old Jeramey Anderson says he's prepared, eager to work for Moss Point
MOSS POINT, Mississippi -- Moss Point's Jeramey Anderson, a young man
running for the Mississippi House District 110 seat, says he's "still
your average 21 year old," but he happens to have a keen interest in
leadership and public policy.
He and his family -- parents Joe and Jennifer Anderson and twin sister Jasmine -- knew that Jeramey would likely one day run for office, but they didn't imagine it would happen so soon.
Anderson expected to begin his political career with a municipal campaign, "but when God has a plan for you, you just follow that plan," he said Friday. "When the position became available, I felt like that was the right time to take that opportunity."
Anderson will face off against former Moss Point Mayor Aneice Liddell in the Nov. 26 runoff election for the representative post.
The Nov. 5 special election to fill the seat that current Mayor Billy Broomfield vacated brought out five total candidates, none of whom received a majority of votes.
Anderson received a little more than 900 votes in that election, while Liddell received about 635.
Former state representative Mitch Ellerby, Tyres Autrey and Anne McMillion were edged out of the competition in that election.
If Anderson wins the runoff, he will be the youngest to be elected to the Mississippi Legislature since Dirk Dedeaux won House District 93 in 1995 at age 23.
"I'm eager to work for this community," he said.
It was first in high school when Anderson discovered his heart for leadership.
"I was interested in leadership, first and foremost, through being class president ... and being captain of the soccer team," he said. "I became interested in politics in the 11th grade, when I went to Boys State. It's a political camp, and you get a chance to run for office. I ran for lieutenant governor and won. I was able to head the senate and learn how to pass bills and make them into law."
His interest in public policy and his willingness to help others, "gives you, in my opinion, the perfect public servant," he said.
Anderson graduated from Moss Point High School in 2010 and went on a soccer scholarship to Pearl River Community College, where he graduated with an associate's degree in criminal justice.
He's now a senior at Tulane University's Gulf Coast campus in Biloxi, where he is studying homeland security and public relations. He expects to graduate in May.
He works for the Boys and Girls Club as the technology and communications director, and he is an assistant soccer coach at Moss Point High School.
He has also founded two active non-profit groups in Moss Point. One, called Purple Knights of America, is a mentoring program for boys, and the other, REAL South United, is a soccer program.
Anderson said some constituents no doubt question how his youth would affect his effectiveness as a state representative, but he says age is only a small factor in the race.
"The first and most important qualification is your ability to listen, and I don't think that has an age stipulation, nor does success have an age stipulation," he said. "One thing we have to teach our kids in this community is that success comes at all ages. If you do the things to be successful, you will be successful."
Around Anderson's campaign headquarters, there's a general motto that "if you're old enough to go fight and die for your country, then you're old enough to represent it."
"The important issues I feel at hand for this community are education, insurance and economic growth," he said, citing those as his top priorities if elected. "I'm going to do whatever needs to be done to make sure this community has a sustainable quality of life."
On Tuesday, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and five precincts will be open.
Those precincts are:
He and his family -- parents Joe and Jennifer Anderson and twin sister Jasmine -- knew that Jeramey would likely one day run for office, but they didn't imagine it would happen so soon.
Anderson expected to begin his political career with a municipal campaign, "but when God has a plan for you, you just follow that plan," he said Friday. "When the position became available, I felt like that was the right time to take that opportunity."
Anderson will face off against former Moss Point Mayor Aneice Liddell in the Nov. 26 runoff election for the representative post.
The Nov. 5 special election to fill the seat that current Mayor Billy Broomfield vacated brought out five total candidates, none of whom received a majority of votes.
Anderson received a little more than 900 votes in that election, while Liddell received about 635.
Former state representative Mitch Ellerby, Tyres Autrey and Anne McMillion were edged out of the competition in that election.
If Anderson wins the runoff, he will be the youngest to be elected to the Mississippi Legislature since Dirk Dedeaux won House District 93 in 1995 at age 23.
"I'm eager to work for this community," he said.
It was first in high school when Anderson discovered his heart for leadership.
"I was interested in leadership, first and foremost, through being class president ... and being captain of the soccer team," he said. "I became interested in politics in the 11th grade, when I went to Boys State. It's a political camp, and you get a chance to run for office. I ran for lieutenant governor and won. I was able to head the senate and learn how to pass bills and make them into law."
His interest in public policy and his willingness to help others, "gives you, in my opinion, the perfect public servant," he said.
Anderson graduated from Moss Point High School in 2010 and went on a soccer scholarship to Pearl River Community College, where he graduated with an associate's degree in criminal justice.
He's now a senior at Tulane University's Gulf Coast campus in Biloxi, where he is studying homeland security and public relations. He expects to graduate in May.
He works for the Boys and Girls Club as the technology and communications director, and he is an assistant soccer coach at Moss Point High School.
He has also founded two active non-profit groups in Moss Point. One, called Purple Knights of America, is a mentoring program for boys, and the other, REAL South United, is a soccer program.
Anderson said some constituents no doubt question how his youth would affect his effectiveness as a state representative, but he says age is only a small factor in the race.
"The first and most important qualification is your ability to listen, and I don't think that has an age stipulation, nor does success have an age stipulation," he said. "One thing we have to teach our kids in this community is that success comes at all ages. If you do the things to be successful, you will be successful."
Around Anderson's campaign headquarters, there's a general motto that "if you're old enough to go fight and die for your country, then you're old enough to represent it."
"The important issues I feel at hand for this community are education, insurance and economic growth," he said, citing those as his top priorities if elected. "I'm going to do whatever needs to be done to make sure this community has a sustainable quality of life."
On Tuesday, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and five precincts will be open.
Those precincts are:
- Orange Grove Community Center, 9313 Old Stage Rd.
- Moss Point Recreation Center, 4400 Denny St.
- Young Men's Business Club, 3406 Dantzler St.
- Justice Court building, 5343 Jefferson Ave.
- B.E. "Mac" McGinty Civic Center, 2914 Shortcut Rd.
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