Tegerdine felt compelled to run for office
LAUREL — Hattiesburg businessman Joe Tegerdine is one of two Republicans hoping to unseat U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.) this November.
Tegerdine, who was born in Portland, Ore., said he decided to run for office after being involved with the 9-12 Tea Party Movement.
“It got to the point that I realized that if I didn’t do something, I wouldn’t have a country to pass down to my children,” he said. “A lot of my generation believe that if we stay focused on our career and raise a family, we can get involved with politics when we get older.”
Tegerdine, who has been living in Mississippi since 2007, said that he began to feel that the district didn’t have adequate representation following a confrontation with Taylor.
“Anybody who’s been in Washington for too long becomes out of touch with people in the district,” he said. “ People started asking me if I would ever run for Congress. After some thought and prayer and discussion with my wife, I decided to run.”
Leader Call
6/16/10
