PASCAGOULA -- For children, it's the rides. For adults, it's the exhibits.

 

For politicians, the Jackson County Fair is a place teeming with voters.

 

"Everybody comes to the fair," Sheriff Mike Byrd said. "You have people coming here from all parts of the county."

Fair-goer James Bolen said the fair is a good time to talk with candidates, "if they show up."

 

"You get to talk with the candidates one-on-one," he said. "You can ask a lot of questions and find out a lot of information about them," he said.

 

For Shelia Maki, chairwoman of the Jackson County Democratic Executive Committee, a fair booth is a good place to advertise a variety of candidates.

 

"If I showed up at your home with 16 fliers, you would tell me to leave," she said. At the fair, she said, voters can leisurely pick their way through the candidates' materials and ask questions about their views.

 

"We've had two fundraisers," Maki said. "But you only get Democrats at the fundraisers. Here you get to meet folks who are not necessarily Democrats."

 

Mike Mangum, a candidate for the Board of Supervisors District 3 position, said the fair is an opportunity to talk to residents about their issues and concerns. Some voters, he said, wanted to talk about economic development and better jobs. Others wanted to talk about affordable housing or insurance.

 

Having a presence at the fair, Mangum said, gives him the opportunity to talk one-on-one with voters.

And, he said, being at the fair gives him the chance to talk with future voters.

 

"There are a lot of teenagers who are getting ready to register to vote," he said. "They are very interested in the political process."

 

Both Board of Supervisors District 1 candidates, Republican incumbent Manly Barton and Democratic challenger Gary Bell, set up booths at the fair.

 

"It's a chance for people to get to see you," Barton said. "It's fun. You get to see people you haven't seen in a while and you get to visit with a lot of people."

 

Barton said the fair has advantages over going door-to-door in communities, and it was more than just being able to avoid biting dogs.

 

"I can stay in one place and see a lot of people here in a few hours," he said.

 

Bell agreed that the fair is a better place to meet people.

 

"A lot of times people aren't home," he said. "All you can do is leave campaign material. Here I can talk to voters."

 

At his booth, Bell said he can spend a lot more time talking with voters in a relaxed setting.

 

"There are a lot of citizens here, and I want to meet them," he said.

 

State candidates also like the fair's forum. Republican Secretary of State candidate Delbert Hosemann visited the fair Wednesday afternoon.

 

"I still believe in going door-to-door," Hosemann said, noting that he walked streets in Pascagoula earlier in the election. "But, it's hard to meet as many people that you will meet at an event like this. I want to be where the people are at."

 

Hosemann said he has made several trips to the Coast because of its strong Republican leanings. He said he is impressed with the pace of recovery in Jackson County.

 

"After the hurricane, I drove a truck for Christ United Methodist Church in Jackson down here," he said. "I vividly remember the devastation."

 

Today, he said, the rebuilding in Jackson County is to the extent that "in many areas you couldn't tell there has been a natural disaster."

 

The only problem so far, say the candidates, has been bad weather. Although the fair was open Monday and Tuesday, wet weather kept many people away.

 

"It's been a smaller turnout this year because of the rain," Maki said. "But, overall, it's been a pretty consistent flow of people."

 

Bell said he expects attendance at the fair to pick up over the next few days as the rain clouds exit.

 

"With cooler temperatures and clear skies, I expect a lot of people to be here Friday and Saturday," he said.

 

Reporter Veto F. Roley can be reached at vroley@themississippipress.com or (228) 934-1427.

 

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