Jackson Free Press

Born and raised in Noxapater, Coleman was one of seven children in a family and grew up sharecropping and working in the cotton fields. She left the country for school and graduated from Tougaloo College.

At Tougaloo, her political career began to take shape—Coleman marched from Tougaloo College to the state capitol in the March Against Fear in the late '60s. Decades later, she beat six candidates out for the District 65 spot, representing parts of Hinds and Madison counties. Besides organizing the gospel choir at Tougaloo, Coleman volunteered for the Jimmy Carter campaign and later worked for him from Mississippi during his presidency. Coleman was active in several Congress campaigns and local politics.

"I was one of the first blacks to run for a county-wide position in Hinds County—I ran for chancery clerk, and then I ran for mayor one time but didn't win," she said.

Coleman was a representative for 21 years. She was married in 1968 and has three children—now she has three grandchildren as well. Coleman, 69, lives in Jackson. Her husband died last year after 46 years of marriage. Coleman said that's been a big adjustment and a part of what caused her to run for transportation commissioner.

Coleman has served on transportation and public-property committees, and she served as the vice-chair of the public property committee before announcing that she was vacating her seat to run for transportation commissioner. Coleman's primary election went to a run-off that she won by a large margin to Robert Amos. She now faces Dick Hall, the incumbent who has served in that role for 16 years, in the November election.

Why did you give up your House seat and run for the Central District public service commissioner seat?

My belief is that you never get change if you don't step out there. We (African Americans) make up a large percentage of this state population, but we don't have one black in a (non-local) position besides representatives and (state) senators. I've been living in the central district ever since I've been in Jackson, and I said now is the time.

What has your experience serving on public property and transportation committees in the House taught you, and what priorities would you focus on if you win transportation commissioner?

The state itself, not just the central district, needs to focus on maintenance of our roads and bridges. We need to maintain what we have and then look at any new structures that we need because the roads produce economic development for this state, and we should not have our children riding over roads that are deficient on school buses.

That would be my top priority: trying to come up with a maintenance program for the central district. We have so many roads and bridges that are in a deplorable condition, and I think that even the current commissioner would attest to that. As a state, we've just got to step up to the plate and say, "We're going to do something about it."

I was coming home from Scott County last night, and I saw all those 18-wheelers parked at the rest area, and I wondered, "How much traffic do we have going through this state?" and I-20 is a connection, too, so that's money for the state, so we have to do something.

How would you advocate for more funding?

We're going to come up with a plan—we've not finalized it yet—we're going to meet with the governor, lieutenant governor, the speaker, the chair of appropriations and those committees, and because I've been in the Legislature, I know them all. And then I would work with the business community, and bring them to the table and say, "Will you help us push this plan?" because that means money for them. Good highways produces better business for the state.

How are you going to reach out to businesses and get them on board?

I am going to call them up and say, "This is Transportation Commissioner Mary Coleman, and I need to come visit with you." I've had a good working relationship with the business community. I've been on chamber boards and served on the United Way (board) a long time ago.

Do you have plans for State Street renovation or I-55 South? Are either of those corridors on the top of your project list?

I-55 South would be the first project I would want completed. I get so many complaints, and we have staff and people that live by 55 South, and they say it takes an hour to get to work in the morning. ... And we need to look at the whole system in terms of how we prioritize the projects and work with the other commissioners—and work together for the betterment of the state.

What distinguishes you from the current commissioner? Why should voters put someone else into that role?

I think I bring new energy. I think being a woman (distinguishes me), because women always have a different perspective than men. I just think it's time for a woman to be in that position that's been run by men ever since it's been in existence. Women have had to play the mother, the wife, the taxi-driver, the everything. And we know how to balance all these balls in the air and keep them up, so I think I bring that perspective to the position. Women work harder than men do.

Where could the funding come from?

Well, we have the gas tax that hasn't been raised in over 15 years, and that's one thing we need to look at. We should look at public-private partnerships. We need to work with the federal government, and they're debating the highway program right now, and that money has been slowly drying up.

So we need to be up there lobbying in Congress because we need some money for infrastructure in this state, and now is a good time to be doing it since Sen. (Thad) Cochran is the Appropriations Chairman.

For more election coverage visit www.jfp.ms/2015elections. Candidates, write [email protected] to schedule an interview.