NATCHEZ — Candidates took the opportunity to speak their minds and ask for votes in another of a series of forums Monday night.

Roughly 50 people gathered in Carter’s Pavilion on Martin Luther King Street to hear candidates for supervisor, state senator, tax assessor, sheriff, tax collector, justice court and circuit clerk.

Candidates spoke to issues like recreation and education. In the case of justice court, they promised fairness and firmness.

In the small room, the audience felt anything but distant from the candidates from whom they could choose.

Often, when a candidate made a particularly impassioned point, the audience murmured assent and sometimes cheered. Occasionally, someone would throw an “Amen” or smart comment to the candidate.

Natchez resident Eva Dunkley hosted the event.

“I’m not running for anything,” Dunkley said. “I just want to do something for the people and get people out to vote.”

Dunkley told mostly humorous stories about every candidate before he or she spoke.

Many candidates cheered the roughly 50 candidates — the most in recent Adams County history — on the ballot for their quality and enthusiasm.

Candidates who attended the forum included Spencer Nash, Bob Dearing, Mike Smith, Reynolds Atkins, Charles Woods, Luther “Brad” Bradford, Leroy Sessions, Britt Gibson, Peter Burns, Rose Johnson, Patricia Dunmore, Danny Barber, Jack Lazarus, S. E. “Spanky” Felter, Paul Leake, Wilbur Johnson, Eddie Walker and Donnie Holloway.

Primaries for county and district elections will be held Aug. 7.