Sen. Lee Yancey, R-Brandon, claims to be the only candidate for state treasurer who has a voting record to study.
Yancey, 43, faces Lynn Fitch, executive director of the Mississippi State Personnel Board, and Lucien Smith, a lawyer, in the Republican primary tomorrow. The Republican who wins the primary race will face Democrat Connie Moran, mayor of Ocean Springs, in November.
Yancey, a member of the Legislature since 2007, is banking on his right-wing conservative reputation to help him win the treasurer's post. In July, Mississippi Right to Life endorsed him. On his website, he boasts having an A rating from the NRA. He also casts himself as a staunch supporter of Arizona-style immigration laws.
The state treasurer, however, doesn't deal with abortion, gun control or foreigners living in the state without the right paperwork. The treasurer is essentially the banker for the state of Mississippi who invests any extra money and manages other finances. Nonetheless, blue-eyed Yancey is flaunting his "100 percent conservative" record more than his job as a money manager with Woodridge Capital Portfolio Management.
"Lee Yancey is one of us," his website says. "As treasurer, he'll save taxpayer money. He'll fight tax increases. And defend us from more big government from Washington D.C."
Yancey sponsored a bill in 2010 to put property in flood and drainage control districts under local zoning laws. His bill, which died in the House Appropriations Committee, would have ended the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District control over the Ross Barnett Reservoir. He wanted more local control of the district, with some members being elected instead of the usual appointment process for board members. He also wanted the district to surrender land it owns for eventual private ownership. (See our previous coverage about Pearl River and the Two Lakes plan.)
Born in Ripley, Yancey graduated in 1991 as a religion major at Mississippi College, then attended New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He started working in Baptist churches as a minister. In 2000, he became a lobbyist for the Mississippi Baptist Convention. In 2007, he won his seat in the state Senate. He started his present job with Woodridge Capital Portfolio Management in 2008.
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