Russell Jolly didn’t grow up thinking about a career in politics.
“I never wanted to do anything but farm,” Jolly said. “My heart’s always been in farming.”
Born and raised around Okolona, Jolly has lived in the McCondy Community of Chickasaw County for more than 40 years raising a family with his wife Rhonda, who taught school for 35 years.
He became interested in politics through his involvement with Farm Bureau, serving on the state board and lobbying the Legislature.
“You could see how the influence was getting away from rural Mississippi and counties like Chickasaw and Calhoun were being left out,” Jolly said.
A long time supporter of the late Sen. Jack Gordon, of Okolona, Jolly decided to try his hand at politics after Gordon’s death.
He is completing his first term as senator in district eight and is unopposed in the upcoming election.
The district has undergone some changes as a result of the last U.S. Census and Jolly’s new “compact” district consists of all of Calhoun and Chickasaw counties and portions of Yalobusha, Pontotoc and Lee.
“I’m very satisfied with the district,” Jolly said. “Calhoun has been very good to me and I really look at all the people in my district the same. When they call, I do everything I can to help them.”
He keeps a directory of phone numbers for every department in state government so when a constituent calls with a question, he can immediately put them in touch or make the call himself to get them the relief they seek.
“Jack (Gordon) always carried a book around with him he said had more than 1,000 numbers in it,” Jolly said with a smile. “I’ve tried to do the same.”
Jolly explained the challenges he saw while monitoring the legislature with Farm Bureau has only heightened.
“My district is full of small municipalities and (the state is) throwing these mandates back to them and they don’t have the money, the tax base it takes,” Jolly said.
“It’s like this tax bill I had to vote against the other day. It’s going to help 15 counties in the state, but it’s killing the rural counties. That money has to come from somewhere, so they’re going to raise everybody’s taxes out in the rural counties. That’s the only place they can get the money and we’re taxed to death now anyway.”
Jolly expressed his frustration with the election year tax cut proposals presented and the state politics that don’t favor counties such as Calhoun.
“(These tax cuts) sound good in an election year and then I have to vote against it. That’s what they want so they can run a bunch of ads against you saying you oppose cutting taxes, but I made my mind up a long time ago I was going to do what’s right regardless the consequences.”
Jolly said his focus is on getting more money for education, infrastructure needs and finding a way to help the rural hospitals.
“If we don’t put some money in these schools somewhere…I’m not looking for them to fully fund MAEP, but we need to be getting more money than what we’ve got in them,” Jolly said. “These hospitals worry me. The state is having to put a lot of money into the hospitals and it’s going to get worse.
“We don’t have a hospital with an emergency room in Chickasaw County. Now folks there are having to go to Calhoun, West Point, Tupelo and it’s impacting them.”
“We have to do something to fix our deteriorating roads and bridges. We all want jobs, but the jobs are going to go where the infrastructure is. If you don’t build up the infrastructure, it’s hard to compete and it’s a very competitive market.”
Jolly said among the hardest parts of the job is working through the more controversial bills.
“We don’t usually have very many – most years only five to 10, but those are the ones that keep you up at night, trying to figure out what’s best for your district,” he said. “You always look at what’s best for the whole state, but ultimately I have to think about my district.”
The other challenge is the time demands.
“It’s a 60-hour a week part-time job,” Jolly said. “You’re always going somewhere and trying to help people. It surprised me when I first got elected the time it took if you’re going to do your job well and I take it serious. When they (constituents) call me, they’re in trouble and can’t get any help. That’s when I try to do everything I can.”
“The people you meet, the relationships you make, and those times when people call and you can help them, that’s the best part.”
Jolly has never held a fund raiser since entering politics, saying he doesn’t want to be beholden to any groups that might give him money.
“My only obligation is to the people in my district,” Jolly said.