Ketchings wins on strength of record

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, November 3, 1999

After one term in office, state Rep. Andrew Ketchings said he was able to run on his record to win re-election for District 95.

&uot;That’s the most gratifying thing about it,&uot; said Ketchings, R-Natchez. &uot;The voters apparently liked what I did. It’s a wonderful feeling. It inspires me to work harder.&uot;

Ketchings, currently the deputy director of the Natchez-Adams County Economic Development Authority, beat Democratic challenger Pam Ferrington with 59 percent of the vote, or 4,498 votes. Ferrington received 41 percent of the vote, or 3,180 votes.

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Ferrington congratulated her opponent on &uot;a race well run.&uot;

&uot;I want to thank everyone who supported me,&uot; she said. &uot;It was an incredible experience. It was definitely a group effort.&uot;

Ferrington, an attorney and former school teacher, said she thought the race was a clean one.

&uot;Both of us tried very hard to concentrate on the issues,&uot; she said.

After her first-time political campaign, Ferrington said she wasn’t sure if she would pursue another office in the future.

As for Ketchings, he is now ready to concentrate on next year’s Legislative session, having won his chance to go back to Jackson.

The first order of business will be new committee assignments, Ketchings said, and his most important issue is a tax cut.

&uot;We have a surplus,&uot; he said. &uot;Our taxpayers are the ones who built up that surplus, and they need to be rewarded.&uot;

Ketchings also led Adams County’s voting, with 59.88 percent of the vote to Ferrington’s 40.02.

Ketchings’ race was the only contested race among Adams County’s Legislative delegation. State Sen. Bob Dearing, D-Natchez, won the August primary election against challenger Scott Pintard. State Sen. Robert L. Johnson, D-Natchez, District 38, was unopposed in the general election, as were Rep. Phillip West, D-Natchez, District 94, and Rep. David L. Green, D-Woodville, District 96.