Eads v Gill

Meridian Star - Randy Eads, a “true Democrat” - With the 3rd District being so heavily conservative, many, including several of the Republican candidates, have expressed a feeling that whoever wins the Republican primary wins the general election as well. Randy Eads disagrees. As one of the two Democrats running, he says the 3rd Congressional District has had enough of the way things have been going.

Eads, a 30-year-old recent graduate of Mississippi College Law School, is a native of Virginia who holds additional degrees in history and economics, and he says that he is a "true Democrat." Being a "true Democrat," he says, is what makes him stand out from his Democratic opponent, Joel Gill, of Pickens. "I think several things set me apart from (Gill)," he said.

Eads believes that a strong academic educational system is needed to attract corporation executives who are thinking of their own children's educational needs, and that strong vocational training is needed to attract corporations who do not wish to provide expensive training to workers themselves. He believes that our infrastructure and location are already good enough to attract more industry than we currently have, and that it's the image of poor education that holds Mississippi back. "There's no reason (major corporations) shouldn't be here," said Eads. "It's an image problem."

As for illegal immigration, Eads said: "It would not make fiscal sense to round up 12 million immigrants and ship them back to their country of origin." Rather, he says, the solution to the problem of illegal immigration lies in firmly securing the southern border and giving illegal immigrants who are already here a chance to repay their debt to society and then become legal. "They would have to pay a fine, " he said, "and not a $500 fine or a $1,000 fine, a substantial fine for being here illegally, and have a criminal background check."

Though he has little political background, Eads feels his three degrees and his refusal to take money from lobbyists qualify him for the job of congressman. "I can put my knowledge to good use," he said, "and I'm a good listener ... and I will do what's best for the people of the 3rd district."