PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP) — Members of a county governing board in Mississippi have chosen the widow of their recently deceased colleague to temporarily fill his seat.
Portia Harris was sworn in Monday to the District 2 seat on the Jackson County Board of Supervisors, WLOX-TV reported.
She succeeds her husband, Melton Harris Jr., who died July 13 at the age of 75. He was in his fourth term on the board, having first been elected in November 2007.
“You know, I never thought I’d be here, but we never know our future,” Harris said, speaking about her husband’s passing. “I understood what the true meaning of what a public servant was, and I understood that he was going to do his best to be one. And I could either be with him by his side, wait my turn, and be patient, and that’s what I did.”
Under Mississippi law, a special election is held to fill a vacancy on a board of supervisors if at least six months remain in the term. The current four-year term ends in January 2024.
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