By Jenny Hunsperger
American Staff Writer

The failed University of Southern Mississippi $12 million bond issue was the center of attention Thursday when state Rep. Lee Jarrell Davis announced he is entering the 2005 Hattiesburg mayoral race.

"I want the message to be loud and clear," Davis, R-Hattiesburg, told a group of about 60 supporters assembled outside the Aubrey Lucas Administration Building on the Southern Miss campus. "I will always be there for USM."

Davis, who lost to former mayor Ed Morgan in the 2001 GOP primary, joins Republicans David Senne and Walt Coker in the race. Democrat Catherine Starr has already announced that she will run against incumbent Mayor Johnny DuPree.

"I actually campaigned for (DuPree) in the last mayoral race," said Dr. Jon Thornton, who showed up Thursday to support Davis.

Thornton said that recent political issues have needlessly divided the city into east Hattiesburg, west Hattiesburg and Southern Miss factions.

"We need a mayor who is going to try to bring things together," he said.

Like Davis, Thornton, 38, is a Southern Miss alumnus who said he thinks the bond issue would have had a better chance of passing if the city council had taken a stronger role in the bond issue.

Davis said leadership on the city council is one of his main issues. But also said he has a growing concern that Hattiesburg is growing unfriendly to business, as evidenced a decline in economic development.

"This city is in a management crisis. Leadership and vision have been replaced by incompetence," he said in an interview after the news conference. "We need a unified Hattiesburg.

"I have not seen a lot of new business coming into the city," Davis said. "We need to be aggressive and positive in attracting new business interests."

And a lot of Davis' criticism rests with Mayor Johnny DuPree, who Davis said has provided poor leadership for the city.

"This city cannot have a mayor who is anti-USM," Davis said. "I don't care what Johnny has said publicly, but he worked behind the scenes with No Not Now to help defeat the bond issue."

Under DuPree's watch, Davis said the city's forward vision has been replaced by one of incompetence.

"I just keep hearing about all this bickering with the mayor and city council. He needs to get on the same page with the city council," he said.

Meanwhile, DuPree questioned where Davis was getting his information, which he characterized as filled with false perceptions and political innuendo.

"I have always been a believer in the truth, because the truth will always rise to the top," DuPree said Thursday. "After (Davis) starts looking at the numbers and sees Hattiesburg's position in the market, he will realize how progressive this city is."

DuPree pointed to the $70 million Turtle Creek Crossing project - that will have a Target outlet as an anchor - as one of the many economic development projects taking place in the city.

"We have development taking place on West Fourth Street," the mayor said. "People are renovating buildings along Hardy Street.

"Apparently he is not looking at the numbers but listening to what people are saying," DuPree said. "I want to be projected as the mayor of this city who is not involved in the bickering and finger-pointing. I've got to be the statesman who remains above the fray."

As for Davis' comments of bickering with the city council, DuPree said he could not recall ever seeing Davis at a city council meeting.

"I will leave the issue up to the city council," DuPree said. "But how would he know if it was bickering or not?"

Hattiesburg Councilwoman Betsy Rowell, who will announce her mayoral candidacy at the Walnut Room at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, said she looked forward to the Republican mayoral primary.

"There is absolutely no secret about my political plans," Rowell said, adding that she was not threatened by Davis' announcement.

"I would expect (him to lose in the primary) again this time," she said. "This changes nothing as far as I'm concerned."