Three candidates hope to land Ward 5 council seat in Gulfport. They’ll have to run twice
Three candidates will be running Tuesday in a special election for Gulfport’s Ward 5 City Council seat.
The candidate elected will serve less than five months because regular municipal elections will be held in the spring for four-year terms that begin July 1.
Tuesday’s race is nonpartisan but all three candidates — Holly Gibbs, Don Harden and B.J. Sellers — have qualified to run as Republicans in spring primaries scheduled April 1. The general election will held June 3 for voters to select a mayor and seven council members.
Ward 5 voters can cast ballots from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in one of two precincts: Gulfport Fire Station #10 on Dedeaux Road or Handsboro Community Center on Switzer Road.
The special election follows the departure of Ward 5 Councilman Myles Sharp, who timed his resignation so that voters would choose his temporary replacement rather than having someone appointed.
The ward includes a mix of neighborhoods and businesses, running almost the entire length of the city’s east side.
Below is information about each candidate, listed in alphabetical order.
Meet Gulfport’s Ward 5 candidates
Holly Gibbs
The owner-broker at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Preferred Properties has raised her family in Gulfport, and says her children are married and ready to have families of their own.
“I want them to find what they’re looking for to raise their families here and not somewhere else,” Gibbs said.
The 45-year-old Republican said she would work to see Dedeaux Road completed in Ward 5 and support facade grants for businesses, especially along Dedeaux and Lorraine roads.
Gibbs said she would work to ensure Ward 5 gets its share of city funding.
“I don’t think north of the interstate in Ward 5 is getting their fair share of tax dollars,” Gibbs said.
She also is under the impression that wasteful spending can be cut and said she would work to expand the tax base. She thinks the city could attract more police officers and firefighters with a better benefits package.
“I think the budget needs to be analyzed,” Gibbs said. “We need to go after grants and other funding to bring in what we need for more commercial businesses and to build a better tax base.”
Don Harden
A retired nurse, Don Harden said that he wants to serve the community where he grew up and can work full time as a councilman.
Harden retired in 2021 as a registered nurse from Duke University Hospital and returned to Gulfport. As a nurse, he said, he’s always had a desire to help others.
“If elected, I am going to be 100% devoted and have the time to put into it to make sure it’s done right,” Harden said. “It’s time to research the issues and find out where the money needs to go.”
He said that he’s not spending a great deal of money on his campaign. The 69-year-old has been putting out yard signs and knocking on doors.
His focus as a councilman, he said, would be on drainage, road improvements and safety issues, including more streetlights. In talking to residents, he believes very little has improved in Ward 5 and too much money has gone to the downtown area.
Residents question projects such as the Mississippi Aquarium, where they wonder if attendance has been worth the millions spent. Harden does support projects such as the downtown harbor Christmas lights display, which he said benefits the entire community.
“The main thing is, I don’t think I’m being elected for my opinion,” he said. “I think I would be elected to represent the opinion of the residents and neighbors of Ward 5.”
B.J. Sellers
Sellers served for 18 years on Gulfport’s Planning Commission before giving up the seat in December to run for the City Council. He wanted a more active role in city government.
“I feel like I did good things in that position for the city but just feel like I could do much more as a council person,” he said, “hopefully to improve, enhance and grow Gulfport in a positive direction.”
The civil engineer said that his father was one inspiration for going into public service. His dad served as Hattiesburg’s city engineer and director of public service for 20 years.
Sellers, 60, said that Myles Sharp was his neighbor and also encouraged him to run. He also believes police officers and firefighters should receive a better benefits package. Both departments are short-staffed and need recruitment incentives, he said.
The general manager of Gulf Pride Paving in Gulfport said that his career has focused on construction, including streets, highways and parking lots. One of his main focuses, he said, would be improving infrastructure throughout the city.
Sellers said he is pro-growth but wants to make sure development is attractive, especially along Ward 5’s Cowan-Lorraine corridor, a gateway to the city.
He said that he would be proactive, working to widen or otherwise improve roads ahead of development rather than playing catch-up.
One of his focuses, he said, would be to “try to get ahead of the curve on things of that nature.”
