Renick pulls out of governor’s race


Thursday, April 26, 2007
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Renick pulls out of governor’s race
• Back full-time at Marshall IDA

By SUE WATSON
Staff Writer

Bill Renick

Democratic contender Bill Renick withdrew from the race for governor Monday, citing financial considerations.

“When I made my decision to seek the office of governor of Mississippi, I did so based on several important factors,” he said by press release. “I have never made any apologies for being a man of modest means and to that end, I realized that I would have to continue to work to provide for my family and myself while I pursued the state’s highest elected office.”

Renick has been serving as part-time executive director of the Marshall County Industrial Development Authority since he announced two months ago he would enter the race. He is now returning to the position full-time.

Renick said time and fund-raising are crucial to any campaign and he realized he could not continue with IDA and raise money for his campaign. So he and his wife decided he would withdraw from the race.

“I had to make a choice,” he said. “I could not afford to quit my job and campaign. And my conviction is you don’t take the money people give you to run a race to make your car payment or pay your living expenses.

“Therefore it becomes necessary for me to choose. I firmly believe that I am the right choice for Mississippi’s next governor. I firmly believe that I have progressive ideas concerning our educational systems that would take the politics out of the classroom and once and for all establish more than just an adequate educational opportunity for our children. I firmly believe that I have a plan that could provide better and more affordable access to healthcare for all our citizens. I firmly believe that the best interests of the citizens of Mississippi should be put first before any other matters. However, I also know that I can no longer afford to wage this battle.”

Renick said he is excited about resuming full-time duties as executive director of Marshall County IDA and his commitment to the board of directors.

“I would like to thank everyone who supported the early stages of my campaign. It is my hope to repay your faith in me and that in some way I can still have a positive impact on the future of our great state,” he said.

Rodney Whaley, IDA chairman of the board, is pleased to have Renick back full-time with the authority from the standpoint of benefitting the economic and development growth in Marshall County.

“Bill would have been a great help to us if he became governor,” Whaley said. “But we are delighted to have him back full-time because there is just a tremendous amount of potential for development in this county, as Holly Springs is strategically located between the new Toyota plant site and Memphis.

“We are delighted to have him back full-time simply because of the volume of prospects we have. And IDA is in the process of acquiring more land for development. That takes a lot of work.”

Renick’s experience in the political arena and connections with economic development leaders over the state and region makes him a valuable player in development in Marshall County, Whaley said.

“We’re getting a bargain,” he said. “Renick is one of the best tax dollars Marshall County has had in a long time. He’s doing good work for us.”

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