A U.S. Navy veteran has announced his plans to seek the mayoral seat in Petal in 2021, and a current city alderman is also considering a bid.
Jake Wilson confirmed that he will run next year.
Wilson was born and raised in Petal and graduated from Petal High School in 1998. He joined the Navy in January 1999 and served 20 years.
He recently retired from active duty and returned to Petal with his wife Chelsea, son Julian and daughter Clara.
“I am running for mayor of Petal because after traveling all over this country, I believe Petal to be one of the finest cities I have ever seen, and indeed the best city in the state of Mississippi,” Wilson said. “Although my military service has come to an end, I still have a powerful desire to serve.
“Petal is a city that deserves a leader that is strong, humble, and treats every citizen with dignity and respect. I believe deeply in leadership rooted in transparency, ownership, and accountability… and Petal needs this in their mayor.”
Additionally, Ward 5 Alderman Tony Ducker said he is thinking about a potential run.
Ducker was elected alderman in 2009. Originally from Natchez, he attended Slidell High School and graduated in 1993 from the University of Southern Mississippi. He runs Tony Ducker Insurance.
“It was something that I was going to look into at the appropriate time,” Ducker said. “We’ve got what I think will be a pretty tough budget coming up, so honestly I think all my concentration has to be on that.
“At some point I was going to sit down and consider what direction that I wanted to go. My wife has her insurance license, so if we got that far into it, she could take a little more control over the business, so I would be a 100 percent mayor if that’s the route I go.”
The winner of the election would take over for current Mayor Hal Marx, who recently announced that he would not seek a fourth term.
