Petal mayor not running for governor after wife’s cancer diagnosis

Published 12:41 pm Thursday, January 3, 2019

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) —  A Republican mayor says he will not run for Mississippi governor because his wife has been diagnosed with cancer.
Petal Mayor Hal Marx said months ago that he intended to seek Mississippi’s top political job this year. But in a Facebook post Thursday, he says his wife, Mindy, received the diagnosis shortly after Thanksgiving. He says that after praying and talking with her, he decided to focus on supporting her rather than running for governor.Marx’s announcement came shortly before Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves of Flowood was scheduled to file qualifying papers to run for governor. The current Republican governor, Phil Bryant, cannot seek a third term.Republican state Rep. Robert Foster of Hernando announced last month that he’s in the governor’s race.

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