BUCHANAN, Grand Bassa – As the Dec. 8 senatorial elections draw near, the race to represent Grand Bassa at the Senate has received another contestant. Humanitarian Magdalene Harris has agreed to run after being petitioned by citizens.
Harris had been petitioned to run at several programs in the past. However, she has never responded. On Saturday in Buchanan, however, she accepted the charge.
“Today, I stand here before many witnesses to accept the people’s petition to contest for the Grand Bassa senatorial seat this midterm senatorial elections,” she said.
“The people of Grand Bassa County need to be empowered. We must engage in and support programs that protect our citizens’ interests globally. We must work to ensure that our citizens have the opportunity to make a difference in their lives economically, and be trusted to drive their own destiny. We must work hard with citizens to develop their individual willpower to transform the future of their county. It is the political will and leadership we need to move the county forward to building sustainable institutions, growing the economy, and seeking fiscal monetary stability.”
Harris, who lived in the U.S. for many years until she moved back a few years ago, said she grew up in the village and attended schools with no desks, books, or pencils – something that is still continuing today and needs to be changed.
“We must find a way to work together with them and improve the condition of their lives,” she said. “After serving many humanitarian organizations, I am now ready to promote change through service in Grand Bassa County to make a break with the past for the better.”
Harris said if chosen for the Senate, she would focus on peacebuilding and social protection, growing the Grand Bassa economy, infrastructure development, and ensuring accountability.
“We must grow our agriculture sector through farming, agro-processing, and marketing – encouraging small business development, creating opportunities for employment, focusing on workforce development, and encouraging direct foreign investment and partnerships,” she added.
Harris said she wanted to give opportunities to the most vulnerable of society – women and children – to ensure that they can participate in decisions that directly impact their lives.
“Under my leadership, young people will have access to opportunities,” she said. “Our women will have access to empowerment and health services. For our children to learn in a healthy school environment.”
Harris runs the Janjay Village of Hope, a charity group that broke ground to construct a health center in Harlandsville Township in New Buchana in 2019. During the ground-breaking ceremony, Harris said the facility would aim to assist rural women who give birth outside of health facilities due to the lack of nearby hospitals. Additionally, she drew attention to children who die from minor sicknesses such as malaria, malnutrition, and diarrhea because of inadequate care.
The Grand Bassa senatorial race is already filled with heavyweights, including the incumbent, Sen. Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence of the opposition Liberty Party, and former foreign affairs minister Gbehzohngar Milton Findley, who is running on the ticket of the ruling party.
Featured photo by Sampson David
