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- Kamesha Mumford won the Mississippi Senate District 26 runoff election against Letitia Johnson.
- Mumford will fill the seat vacated by former Sen. John Horhn, who is now the mayor of Jackson.
- The race drew attention for large campaign donations, including a $150,000 contribution to Johnson’s campaign.
- Under Mississippi law, large donations from limited liability companies (LLCs) are permitted.
Kamesha Mumford defeated Jackson attorney Letitia Johnson in the Dec. 2 runoff election for Mississippi Senate District 26.
Mumford, a municipal judge from Canton, will serve the remainder of the term through 2028 after voters across parts of northwest Hinds County and Madison County hit the polls.
According to the unofficial results, Kamesha Mumford defeated Letitia Johnson in the Mississippi Senate District 26 runoff with 3,711 votes, or 55.9%, to Johnson’s 2,922 votes, or 44,1%. A total of 22 write-in votes were cast, bringing overall turnout to 6,655 votes across both counties.
In Madison County’s six precincts, Mumford received 814 votes or 69.6% to Johnson’s 356 votes or 30.4%, with five write-in votes. In Hinds County’s 19 precincts, Mumford carried 2,897 votes to Johnson’s 2,566 votes, with 17 write-ins counted.
The District 26 seat has been vacant since former Sen. John Horhn resigned earlier this year to become mayor of Jackson. Horhn represented the district for more than three decades before leaving the Legislature. Gov. Tate Reeves called the special election to fill the remainder of Horhn’s term.
Meet the candidates: Mississippi Senate District 26 runoff: Candidates answer questions
The Nov. 4 special election initially featured seven candidates before narrowing to Tuesday’s runoff, with Mumford winning the race and Johnson finishing in second.
Large donations draw attention in Senate District 26 race
But the runoff didn’t just play out at the ballot box. It also unfolded on campaign finance reports, where six-figure and five-figure donations fueled an expensive legislative race.
On Johnson’s report, her campaign lists a $150,000 contribution from the national law firm Singleton Schreiber, where Johnson serves as a managing partner. The firm is listed as a limited liability company.
Johnson’s fundraising advantage was substantial. Through Nov. 25, her campaign reported $348,674.11 in total contributions, $297,971.39 in total spending and $50,702.72 in cash on hand. Much of that money went toward a full-scale media and turnout blitz, including radio advertising, mass text messaging, direct mail and consulting services. Also included were two $25,000 payments made to political consultant firm Watershed Strategy in the final weeks of the runoff.
By comparison, Mumford ran a far smaller operation, with campaign reports showing significantly lower fundraising totals. Her October campaign finance report showed $152,948.55 in total contributions and $65,499.55 cash on hand at that point in the race. A later November runoff report showed an additional $11,413.26 in new contributions and $53,401.17 in cash on hand, reflecting continued but more modest late-cycle fundraising. Mumford’s campaign spending focused largely on printing, canvassing, limited advertising and small consulting contracts.
Mumford’s report also shows two $50,000 donations on June 1 — one from Mumford and Mumford, the law firm owned and operated by the candidate and her husband, and another from Mumford Title, which the Mississippi Secretary of State lists as a limited liability company.
Mississippi law caps donations from corporations and incorporated entities at $1,000 per year. But the Mississippi Secretary of State’s 2025 Campaign Finance Guide cites state law defining LLCs as unincorporated entities that are not subject to that corporate cap. That means LLCs may legally exceed the $1,000 limit.
As a result of that definition, the six-figure and five-figure donations that initially drew scrutiny — including the $150,000 contribution from Singleton Schreiber to Johnson and the two $50,000 donations tied to Mumford’s campaign — are permitted under current Mississippi law.
The Mississippi Attorney General’s Office confirmed that interpretation to the Clarion Ledger.
