Candidate profile: Shuwaski Young-Democratic nominee for Mississippi’s Third Congressional District

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - The mid-term elections are a week away, and we’re on your side, helping you learn more about the candidates. We’re starting with the Third Congressional District.

We followed along as the democratic nominee for the Third Congressional District Shuwaski Young knocked on doors and connected with voters with one week left till election day.

“My campaign over the last year and a half has been about protecting small businesses, expanding their tax breaks, protecting social security, and bringing big business to Mississippi,” Young said to one voter during a morning of door-knocking. “I hope that’s something you can identify with.”

So, who is he?

“I grew up in Philadelphia, Mississippi, and Noxapater, Mississippi,” he explains. “Graduated from Jackson State University.”

His work experience includes time in state government at the Secretary of State’s office, then for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton’s campaigns, and as a White House appointee working for the Department of Homeland Security.

“My entire career has been built for this moment. I’ve been working for 15 years versus particular moment always knew I was gonna run for office, I always wanted to serve,” described Young.

Now that he’s running, he is sharing his plans.

“We came up with a full socio-economic platform of small business expansion, tax breaks for small businesses, bringing Mississippi to the forefront where big business wants to come to our state,” he said. “So, it’s about jobs, jobs, jobs, and it’s about moving our state forward. I hope folks can understand that and give me a chance representing the third district.”

Two major issues nationally leading into these midterms are inflation and abortion. We asked Young about both of those. He had already referenced women’s rights a few times already in our conversation.

“My firm position is this one of the abortion issue. None of us, especially men, she had the arrogance to believe that we should tell a woman what to do with her body,” noted Young. “Those decisions on abortion should be made privately between a woman and her doctor. Privately, as I said.”

As for inflation, he thinks what the Biden administration has done is a positive step but thinks more has to be done, saying it will take bipartisan work to make that happen. So, what about Mississippi being viewed as a red state?

“We actually can be a purple state if people turn out to vote,” said Young. “At this particular point, we have someone in office that are not representing the interests of the Third Congressional District. Quite frankly, not one piece of legislation has been passed that has improved the lives of Mississippians who the third congressional district. I want to change that.”

For more details about Shuwaski Young’s campaign, click HERE.

We’ll profile Incumbent Republican Congressman Michael Guest later this week.

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