Constable candidates look to shape future of Lee County law enforcement
Jun. 27—TUPELO — With three of the county's four constable seats contested, there's a chance for voters to reshape law enforcement in Lee County later this summer.
About the Series
This is the first in a series of articles profiling each candidate running for a contested position during the 2023 Lee County elections.
The job of the constable in Lee County is to serve court documents, including subpoenas, summons and orders, stand as bailiffs in the courtroom and preserve the peace throughout the county.
In District 1, Republican incumbent Joe Huckaby has two Republican opponents: Malcomb Driskill and Randy Ellis. District 2 incumbent Republican Ted Wood is running against his Republican challenger Sean McMickin, and District 3, which has no incumbent, has two Republicans vying for the seat: David "Davy" Estes and Bryan Gann. District 4 Constable Tom Henry Lyle is running unopposed.
Because all candidates in contested races are running as Republicans, the Aug. 8 primaries (or, if necessary, its runoff later in the month) will decide the outcome.
District 1
While this isn't Malcomb Driskill's first venture into local politics, it is his first time running for constable.
Previously a Saltillo alderman, Driskill, 55, said he is passionate about law enforcement and serving the people of Lee County.
"The constable is the second highest-ranking official in the county," he said. "The difference I would make as constable is helping the sheriff's department and not hinder. .... All I want to do is the right thing."
Driskill, currently the administrator for Itawamba County Jail and owner of Driskill Fish and Steak in Plantersville, said he believes he has done a great job transitioning to the newer jail that went from a capacity of 30 to 155. He noted he also worked with Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson to house Lee County prisoners in Itawamba.
He said this close relationship with the sheriff's department in both Lee and Itawamba will serve him well if elected.
One issue Driskill said he hopes to tackle if elected is creating a culture of respect inside the courtroom.
"There's no respect in the courtroom," he said, noting while attending court, he found attendants and defendants cursed and used their cell phones during court, among other issues. "I'm not going to put up with stuff like that."
Randy Ellis, 34, previously worked in law enforcement and said he hopes to continue the experience as a constable.
Ellis worked for the Lee County Sheriff's Office for four years and also served in the Marine Corps. He said his experience as both a Marine and a law enforcement agent will be invaluable to his service as a constable.
Ellis previously ran for constable when Huckaby was first elected.
"I've always loved law enforcement and helping people whenever I can," Ellis said. "I have the willpower and the want to.... I'm going to do my best to get out there into the community to try my best and see how it goes."
To Ellis, the county's constables should be more visible. He said being a constable is an important job, adding he believes the average person does not have a full understanding of what the constable actually does.
"I don't want anyone being afraid of coming up to me and asking questions," he said. "Everybody I have come across, they have no idea what a constable is and that they can call their constable for help."
Joe Huckaby, 54, has served as District 1 constable for two full terms. He said his uncle, former Sheriff Jack Shirley, convinced him to run for the position, and he fell in love with the job immediately.
"I've always wanted to help with the sheriff's department and the police departments," he said, noting he has a "gift" for handling people because he always tries to treat people the way he wants to be treated. "In the two terms I've done, no one has ever gotten mad."
Huckaby is a self-described entrepreneur. He owns rental property and an area daycare.
He believes one of the primary issues facing any local constable is a lack of interaction with other area law enforcement entities.
"I see some of our fellow constables get to help, but around here, they've kind of shunned the constables a little," he said. "I wish they would reach out to us."
District 2
Sean McMickin, 48, said he believes he can bring new life to the District 2 constable seat. He works in management at Guntown-based furniture company HM Richards and has over 20 years of experience in the furniture industry,
"We've got some great constables ... but I think I can add energy and the passion to do it," he said. "Businesses, judges and victims all deserve to be served by a hard-working constable, and I believe I can do that."
McMickin, who is from the Auburn community, is a founding member of the area's neighborhood watch. He said community is important to him, as is community involvement and volunteering. Most of his time spent not working, he said, goes toward the watch or working as the Mooreville Sportsplex youth sports director.
He said his interest in serving as one of the county's constables began when he was a kid. He'd hear stories about his grandfather, John Booker Pate, who served as constable in Itawamba County.
If elected, McMickin said his goal would be to deliver court documents expediently. In certain cases, such as with restraining orders, speed can be the difference between life and death.
Ted Wood, 71, said experience is the key to being an excellent constable. Wood has served as Lee County District 2's constable for 30 years, and before being elected in 1993, served as a judge.
"If you were going to have a bypass surgery, would you want a doctor that has been doing it for several years or someone who started last week," he said. "There's nothing better. No better teacher, nothing beats experience, and it doesn't matter what it is in."
He said he has hundreds of hours worth of training, adding that while many constables only perform the job part-time, a variety of factors — including inflation — have increased the number of evictions and similar legal paperwork and pushed the workload to full-time.
When asked if this would be his last term if elected, Wood said that he was not completely certain but believed this would be his last term.
District 3
With the announcement that long-time incumbent Republican Phil Gann did not plan to seek re-election, two individuals are now vying to fill the seat he occupied for the last four decades.
David "Davy" Estes, 49, is firefighter at the Tupelo Fire Department making his inaugural run for public office. He considered running for constable during the last two election cycles but said he wanted to wait until Gann retired before taking his shot.
"I'm a lifelong resident of District 3," he said. "I have a great knowledge of the people. That is unmatched. ... I genuinely love helping people. We have a motto at the Tupelo Fire Department: 'We help people.' I plan on trying to do that moving forward. If I get this position, I am going to help people in every way that I can."
He said his time working in emergency services and training as an emergency medical technician make him more than qualified for the job. He noted he planned to continue his education on the job if elected.
"I'm a believer that the county and the city... know what they're doing, and my job is to assist them," Estes said. "I'm willing to do what it takes to be the best at whatever I'm doing."
Bryan Gann, 37, previously ran for District 3 constable in 2019 but pulled out after a conflict with his employer. Two years later, he quit law enforcement specifically to run for District 3 constable without conflict. During his break from law enforcement, Gann said he's been helping his brother with his businesses in Starkville.
Gann, who is distantly related to the current District 3 constable, said he's been eyeing the position for years.
"I just love law enforcement, and I just want to make sure, with Phil retiring, that there is somebody in this position who is capable and that somebody that is certified," he said.
Gann has decades of experience in law enforcement, including as a jailer in Chickasaw County, an officer at the Mississippi State University Police Department, an officer in Booneville, an officer for MDOT and an agent for Mississippi Gaming Commission.
He said it was paramount that a constable has law enforcement training and certification, even though certification is not a requirement for the seat. He said his connections to law enforcement will serve the district well.
"Lee County is growing every day," he said. "I want my kids to be raised in a safe community.... I want it protected."