What is Fife’s party affiliation and why does it matter?
School board elections are non-partisan by law, but school board members can and many do have party affiliations. Fife has been a committed Republican for many years. He chaired what is thought to have been the first Republican County convention in his home county in rural Mississippi since reconstruction. He is active with the local party chapter, and has been elected as either a delegate or alternate to each of the last two state conventions and to this convention in May. It matters this year because, for whatever reason, according to a copyrighted story by Richard Hyatt appearing in the Ledger Enquirer, May 2, 2004, page A-1, the local Democratic Party, under the leadership of Chairman Frank Myers and Vice-Chairman Carl Douglas, has recruited a slate of challengers to incumbents. Fife’s opponent denies having been recruited by the local Democratic Party although he has been endorsed by them. While party politics has never before played a role in school board races it will this year,
