Associated Press Writer
 George Lambus, a Republican candidate for mayor of Jackson, Miss., photographed at his home March 2, 2009, has released campaign flyers that note 'crime can only be alleviated by a noose and a stout tree limb.' Lambus, a is one of several candidates seeking to replace incumbent Mayor Frank Melton. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) |
As the only GOP hopeful among nearly a dozen Democrats and four independents, his chances of winning the June election are slim: the majority-black city of about 180,000 is so heavily Democratic that no Republican has won the mayor's race in modern history. Yet, Lambus hopes to stand out in a crowded field by packing a silver pistol and talking bluntly about crime.
"Crime can only be alleviated by a noose and a stout tree limb," Lambus wrote in one of several homemade flyers he passes out in Jackson neighborhoods. "I will provide the noose and when the economy improves, I will get the jobs here."
The Mississippi Republican Party is not supporting Lambus. GOP Chairman Brad White said Lambus' message doesn't reflect "the values that we represent."
"He's already the novelty candidate," explained Leslie Burl McLemore, the city council president.
Still, anti-crime campaigns have resonated in Jackson in recent years: incumbent Mayor Frank Melton won a landslide victory in 2005 on promises to get tough. The mayor even went armed on security patrols through tough neighborhoods. He is now charged with federal civil rights violations for allegedly leading a sledgehammer attack on a suspected crack house.
With his federal trial set to start days after the May 5 primary, Melton's stand provoked such an uproar that several challengers are vying to unseat him. Yet Melton's 2005 pledge to run the "thugs" out of town seems mild in comparison to Lambus' calls for hangings and vigilante justice.
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