Landrum: Meridian, Starkville

Meridian Star - David Landrum wants "common sense" approach - Republican David Landrum says he is not your typical politician - He's never run for any political office before, and has had only a limited involvement in politics in the past, but he thinks that's a good thing in his race for the 3rd Congressional District seat, which will be vacated by Chip Pickering at the end of term. Landrum feels his background in the military, in business, and working on finance-related committees with Gov. Haley Barbour and Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant has prepared him for a congressional job. "Economic development," he said, "That's what I do. It's who I am." He said he is disappointed with the spending choices the Republicans in Congress have made in recent years. Keep an eye on The Meridian Star for an in-depth editorial board with David Landrum in coming weeks.

Miss State Reflector - Landrum begins race for U.S. Congress - Neil Forbes, Landrum's campaign manager, said Landrum is running as a businessman. He is not a politician, lawyer or bureaucrat, and he believes common business principles should be installed in Washington. One of Landrum's biggest focuses is going to be economic development, which will create more job opportunities in the state for those graduating, Forbes said. "He's a veteran and strongly supports the military," he said. "He thinks the budget should be increased so our soldiers are the best-equipped in the world to fight the war on terror. He's served on education boards at Mississippi College and Southern [and] he understands the value of higher education."

Dylan Bradshaw, a public policy and administration graduate student, is working on Landrum's campaign. He said that Landrum has a great team working behind him. This weekend, Bradshaw will be heading up a group of volunteers to campaign for Landrum in the Starkville area. He said the campaigning is just getting started with campaigning, but he expects it to get more intense as primaries get closer. "The main reason I'm working on his campaign is because he took the time to sit down with me and talk to me on a personal level," Bradshaw said. Landrum plans to visit MSU and speak to some student organizations including College Republicans and the Stennis-Montgomery Association, Bradshaw said.

Stuart Saulters, senior civil engineering major, has had the opportunity to meet Landrum. "Landrum is a nice guy and a very successful businessman and that success shows that he knows how to manage people and conquer problematic situations," Saulters said. "However, there are some other candidates who are much more experienced, politically." Saulters said that when determining who he will vote for he will be looking at the amount of political experience each candidate has had. "I believe that experience is vital since the elected candidate will be working with other politicians and will be exposed to the larger world of politics in our nation's capital," he said.