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November 11, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

 

KASICH FOR AMERICA ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF MISSISSIPPI STATE LEADERSHIP TEAM TO INCLUDE GULFPORT MAYOR BILLY HEWES AND HATTIESBURG LEGISLATOR TOBY BARKER

Today the team of key Mississippi leaders endorsing Governor John Kasich for President expanded to include 16 additional current and former public officials and members of the business community. 
 
Kasich State Chairman Andy Taggart, former Chief of Staff to Mississippi Governor Kirk Fordice, said, “Our team is becoming stronger and more diverse every day. I look forward to working with these talented men and women to spread Governor Kasich’s message in our local communities.”
 
“I am humbled by the outpouring of support from Mississippi,” said Kasich, who visited the state on November 4. “We are continuing to build a network of leaders whose experience and dedication are moving our operation forward. I am especially excited to welcome Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes and State Representative Toby Barker—their deep knowledge of the policy issues that affect the lives of Mississippians will be a major asset to our team.”
 
Mayor Billy Hewes of Gulfport was formerly President Pro Tempore of the State Senate and former Chairman of the American Legislative Exchange Council and of the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission.
 
“John Kasich is hands-down the best candidate we have to steer our country in a different direction,” said Hewes. “Our job now is to get the word out to voters about his plan to turn our economy around and reclaim power from Washington. He has the experience and the ideas to make it happen, and he has my full support.”
 
Rep. Toby Barker, who represents Hattiesburg, serves as Vice Chairman of the House Public Health Committee.

"Voters are looking for a leader with a record of solving tough problems," saidBarker. "In the time I've spent with Governor Kasich, it's clear to me that he is that leader. There's no one better equipped to both win a General Election and provide the necessary bold leadership to balance our federal budget, strengthen our workforce, and defend our country."
 
The following Mississippi Republican leaders are also joining the Kasich for America Mississippi Leadership Team:
 
Tony Greer, President, Hinds County Board of Supervisors
Steven Pickett, Chairman, State Parole Board
Bobby Peoples, Mississippi Republican Executive Committee Member; Rankin County Republican Executive Committee Member
Frank Genzer, Harrison County Republican Executive Committee Chairman
Paul Breazeale, Treasurer, Mississippi Republican Party
Stacey Hight, Former Chief Aide to Former First Lady Pat Fordice
John Lovorn, CEO, The Pace Group
Terry Hight, COO, Mississippi Children’s Home Services
Webster Franklin, CEO, Tunica (County) Convention and Visitors Bureau
Dwayne Self, Former President, Mississippi Association of Nurse Anesthetists
Rick Webster, CEO, Key Constructors, LLC; President, Mississippi Roadbuilders Association
Tom and Jana McDonnell, Principals, U-Save Car and Truck Rental
Lee Thorne, County Prosecuting Attorney-Elect, Tishomingo County.

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Gov. Kasich is running for President to help Americans restore our nation, live in safety and pass on prosperity to those who come after us—and he’s got the experience to help us do it. He was reelected last year by a 30-point margin after working with his fellow Ohioans to turn an $8 billion shortfall into a $2 billion surplus, cut taxes $5 billion and create more than 300,000 new private sector jobs.  As chair of the Budget Committee in Congress he led the effort to balance the federal budget for the first time in a generation and served 18 years on the House Armed Services Committee where he helped enact President Reagan's national security agenda.  He has also had a successful career as an investment banker, New York Times best-selling author and at FOX News.  He and his wife Karen have twin teenage daughters and live in their home outside Columbus. You can learn more about him at www.JohnKasich.com

 

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