A second candidate intends to put his name in the hat to run for mayor of Petal in 2021, as current Ward 5 Alderman Tony Ducker announced on Nov. 19 that his name will be on the ballot for the general election that will be held next summer.
So far, Ducker and Navy veteran Jake Wilson have come forward to say they will vie for the spot that will be vacated by current Mayor Hal Marx, who said he will not seek election to a fourth term.
“I believe that Petal is a conservative town, so I think conservative leadership provides the best path forward for our community,” Ducker said. “I believe we need to be streamlining the services that we offer; I don’t believe the residents are asking for a miracle.
“I think they want us to follow the same rules that they have to in their lives – don’t overextend yourself, don’t borrow too much money, and try to provide what the citizens are paying for, which is infrastructure and things of that nature.”
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.
“We do have some good things on the horizon out there in the next several years,” Ducker said. “We have some debt that should be getting paid off; we just need to be real smart about how we use or money to bridge that gap from now until then.”
Ducker said although his 11 years of experience on the board has enabled him to better himself with the city and its measures – including certain things that work and some that don’t – he won’t necessarily run on the idea of that experience.
“In some cases that can work against you, but I’m going to keep an open mind from that and try to represent those that can’t always be involved in government,” he said. “They pay water bills, they pay taxes, so they should have a voice as well.
“This will be the most consequential election (in Petal) in the past 12 years, and it’ll be the first election that we have where social media plays some type of role in this. I’m not going to run my campaign totally on social media – I need to go out there amongst the people and the residents and earn each vote, as opposed to sitting behind a computer and running.”
Wilson, who announced in June his intent to run for the mayoral position, was born and raised in Petal and graduated from Petal High School in 1998. He joined the Navy in January 1999 and served for 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 in a previous story. “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.”
