About Richard

Richard has been a resident of Mississippi since 1971. He and his wife, Sandi have lived in the Byram area for 14 years. They have been blessed with two terrific sons, Tyler, a freshman at Mississippi College and Justin, a sophomore at Terry High School. They attend Southside Assembly of God in Jackson.

Richard has been a teacher in the Jackson area for over 20 years. The last 15, as part of the Jackson Public School District. He is the sponsor of the school's student produced news show. He is coach of the Challenge Bowl (academic competition) team and coach of the school's chess team. Last year he coached the chess team to a fourth place finish in the national competition in Sacramento, CA. and is currently making plans for this year's competition in April in Dallas, Texas.

Richard graduated from Kossuth High School in Kossuth, MS (NE MS), then went on to two years at NEMS Junior College. He then transferred to Southeastern College of the Assemblies of God (now Southeastern University) in Lakeland, Fl, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Education Social Science.

After Southeastern, he lived for a short time in Ohio and California but felt that call to return to his Mississippi roots. He attended Mississippi State for a period of time, working on a computer science degree when the opportunity was made available to teach in Jackson.

Today, he is a teacher of sixth grade gifted students in the Jackson Public School System. He is a member of MAGC (Mississippi Association of Gifted Children) and is on the Board of MECA (Mississippi Educational Computing Association).

Richard made his decision to run for Congress after several years of contemplation. He was tired of seeing the way many politicians were running the country. His belief was that they had forgotten the everyday person who has to work for a living. The person who has to figure out a way to make the budget reach the end of the month. Basically, how to make ends meet. It seems in today's society, the answer politicians have to making the nation's budget work is to tax more. Richard's belief is that this has got to stop. The government has to learn to work within its means, just like everyone else.

He tries to live his life firstly, by Biblical teachings and secondly by following the conservative core beliefs: 

• The belief in the unique character and powers of every human being and their personal opinions. 
• A belief in freedom under law, as opposed to the concept of modern liberalism that power is everything. 
• A belief that collectivism and the centralizing of power in Washington threatens Americans with a loss of freedom in their own communities and daily lives. 
• A belief in the individual over bureaucracy. 
• That modern liberalism has, in the words of Whittaker Chambers, "a vindictiveness...of temper." 
• That, as Reagan wrote, "we cannot diminish the value of an entire category of human life -- the unborn -- without diminishing the value of all human life."
• That we will all die, but what makes the difference, as Reagan once said, is what we die for. That there are things worth dying for, and peace, alas, can never be purchased at any price but strength.
• That freedom belongs to every individual by divine right.
• That freedom is better than control.

Richard wants to serve you in Washington, not just as an elected official, but as a teacher.