Poplarville business owner Daniel Wise announced his candidacy for the District 106 seat in the Mississippi House of Representatives on Thursday.

Wise spoke at the county courthouse Thursday morning outlining his major campaign goals and platform.

The three major pillars of his campaign are education, economic development and transparency/accountability, Wise said.

A major point of Wise’s campaign is his refusal to accept donations from PAC’s or special interest groups.

“I’m not doing this for money,” Wise said.

Wise has lived in Pearl River County for 17 years, owning and operating Poplarville Insurance, Inc. for 11 years. He attended Lamar County schools as a child, he said.

District 106 stretches from Lumberton, to the county’s western border and down to parts of Carriere and Picayune.

“That’s a lot of dirt and a lot of people,” Wise said.

Wise’s campaign manager, Dalton Traylor, said his campaign aims to appeal to the common people and to be a true representative of the people of Pearl River County.

Small business owners are a driver of the local economy, Wise said.

“People say we need more jobs, we need more industry but how do we get that?” Wise said. “I think it goes back to education.”

He also said the state is known for its consistent corruption rankings, which is part of the reason he will not accept donations from PAC’s.

“I’m running for the county, for the district,” Wise said. “This isn’t about me being some candidate, this is about me representing the people and you are the people.”

Pearl River Community College will host a debate between the candidates on Oct. 7 at 6 p.m.

For more information about Wise’s campaign, visit his Facebook page, Daniel Wise for District 106 Representative, or on Twitter @Wise4House106.

The special election will be held during the general election on Nov. 8.

According to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s website,  qualifying candidates on the District 106 ballot are John Glen Corley, Larry D. Davis, Greg Holcomb and Ben Winston.

The deadline to qualify is Friday at 5 p.m.

“If you support this campaign…I ask that…we don’t complain, don’t criticize and don’t condemn,” Wise said

Wise encourages county residents, especially younger voters, to register and participate in the election.

To register to vote, visit http://www.sos.ms.gov/Elections-Voting/Pages/Voter-Registration-Information.aspx.