With President Joe Biden officially backing away from his 2024 Presidential Campaign, Mississippi leaders from party chairs to elected officials have weighed in mixed opinions about the decision.

Most notably, state Democrats who support Biden early on in the race, such as Congressman Bennie Thompson and State Democratic Party Chair Cheikh Taylor thanked Biden for his service and are looking forward to a united party after the August Democratic National Convention.

In Mississippi, there is only one U.S. Congress member that is a Democrat. The party also holds a minority in the state Legislature and boasts no elected statewide offices.

Biden’s announcement comes only a week after his opponent, former President Donald Trump, was shot during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, and about a month after Biden’s poor performance during a presidential debate against Trump.

More on Biden decision How will MS choose Democratic nominee after Joe Biden backs out of 2024 presidential race?

MS Dems leaders will travel by train? MS Democratic Party delegates taking a unique route to DNC Convention in Chicago. See how

After that night, those within Biden’s party began to call for him to respectfully bow out, according to reporting by USA Today and others. Several Mississippi Democrats still supported Biden at the time, such as Thompson and Taylor, to name a few.

Here is how state leaders and elected officials responded to the news as it unfolded Sunday afternoon.

State Democratic leadership

Thompson posted to X, formerly Twitter, not long after the announcement was made by Biden.

Thompson said it is time for the party to unite and support Vice President Kamala Harris, who Biden endorsed to take his place Sunday.

“As Democrats, we have faced a lot lately, and although I wish President Biden would be leading the Democratic ticket, I am committed to supporting our nominee,” he wrote. “We have to unite; democracy depends on it!”

Taylor declined to say who he would endorse as the next candidate. However, the party’s executive committee plans to meet this week to decide a new nominee. He added to Thompson’s words with a call for unity at the convention to beat back Trump.

In the Mississippi Legislature, House Minority Leader Robert Johnson, D-Natchez, and Senate Minority Leader Derrick Simmons, D-Greenville, both thanked Biden for his efforts as President and plan to support Harris if she is the nominee chosen at the Democratic National Convention in August.

“I’m grateful that the President was not selfish and thought about what is the best way to protect our democracy, and what’s the best way to to defeat Donald Trump in November,” Johnson said. “…I didn’t necessarily agree with that. But if he made that choice, he made it because he thought it was best for the country to have a candidate that could make sure that we protect democracy, and that candidate will come out of the Democratic Party.”

“As a strong supporter of President Biden, and his policy that we have seen and that have been successful and beneficial to all Americans over the last four years, I believe that we have a great chance of continuing those policies increasing our chances for reelection by his endorsement of Kamala Harris,” Simmons said.

Other Mississippi legislators’ response

District 3 Republican Rep. Michael Guest also posted about Biden’s decision, saying that bowing out doesn’t go nearly far enough and that Biden should resign now.

“During his time in office, the Democratic Party has covered up Joe Biden’s inability to serve as President,” Guest wrote. “We saw in the debate he is not able to handle the duties of the office and by him dropping out of the race today, Biden admits he is not able to do the job…For the good of the country, he should step down and resign immediately.”

Other Republican House Representatives Trent Kelly and Mike Ezell had not spoken publicly about the announcement as of 3:30 p.m. Sunday.

Republican Sen. Roger Wicker took to X as well, quoting Greek poetry to say that Biden did what was right.

“Biden made the right choice: ‘Old age hath yet his honor and his toil,’ ‘Death closes all: but something ere the end,’ ‘Some work of noble note, may yet be done…’- Ulysses,” Wicker wrote.

Sen. Cindy Hyde Smith as of 3:30 p.m. had not responded to Biden stepping down.

Statewide offices and leaders:

Of the Mississippi statewide office holders, all being held by Republicans, no one had kind words for the President.

Gov. Tate Reeves took the decision as proof of Trump’s strength.

“Have you ever seen a politician so strong and talented he made his opponent quit in the middle of the race? I have: Donald J. Trump,” Reeves wrote.

State Auditor Shad White simply reposted a few words he wrote on July 18, saying that Democrats have lied about Biden’s capability to maintain his office and his faculties.

“Democrats lied to you for years about one of the most important things: whether President Biden was mentally equipped to be president,” he wrote. “If they force him off the ticket, they will be admitting they have lied. Don’t forget this when you hear them talk about anything else under the sun.”

Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and House Speaker Jason White’s offices did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and neither of them had made a public statement as of 3:30 p.m.

Other state officials such as Secretary of State Michael Watson, Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson, Attorney General Lynn Fitch and State Treasurer David McRae had not yet said anything about the Biden decision as of Sunday afternoon.

Grant McLaughlin covers state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335. 

JACKSON, Miss. – A federal three-judge panel has ordered the Mississippi Legislature to draw and adopt new state legislative district maps during the 2025 session. The legislature must then hold special elections to fill the seats next year.

The panel, composed of U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden, Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel Jordan, and U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Leslie Southwick, ruled that current districts dilute black voter strength in parts of the state. The judges granted the state extra time, stating that the legislature need not act until the regular 2025 session.

Board of Election Commissioners’ Argument

The Mississippi state Board of Election Commissioners, comprising Governor Tate Reeves, Attorney General Lynn Fitch, and Secretary of State Michael Watson, argued that redrawing the maps before the November general election was not feasible. The judges agreed, citing the need for an equitable remedy for Voting Rights Act violations.

Lawmakers must draw majority-black Senate districts in DeSoto County and the Hattiesburg area, and majority-black House districts in Chickasaw and Monroe counties. This reconfiguration will impact neighboring district boundaries, necessitating multiple special elections in 2025.

The order stems from the Mississippi NAACP’s lawsuit challenging the 2022 legislative redistricting plan. The contested maps resulted in 15 of the 52 Senate seats and 42 of 122 House seats being majority-black districts. The 2023 elections were conducted under these maps.

Current Legislative Composition

In the 2023 elections, voters elected 79 Republicans, 41 Democrats, and 2 Independents to the Mississippi House, and 36 Republicans and 16 Democrats to the Senate. Voting trends indicate districts with higher black populations tend to elect Democrats, while those with higher white populations lean Republican.

Legislative leaders contacted by Magnolia Tribune were reviewing the order and did not want to comment at this time.

Magnolia Tribune first published this article, and it is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

See a typo? Report it here.

Is it dust? Sun? Mississippi mud? Guess again.

This is the latest edition of Curious Mississippi, a service to the readers of the Clarion Ledger. Other questions answered by Curious Mississippi have surrounded potholes, cicadas, the international nature of Jackson’s airport and water availability charges. Last week, we looked at the expense of registering a car in Jackson.

Ever wondered why the streets in Jackson and other parts of Mississippi have a distinctive red-brown hue?

While some people may guess it’s dust or a street suntan or maybe just some classic Mississippi mud, the answer is far more simple. The asphalt is really, really old. 

“What you’re looking at out there is older asphalt, probably more than 15 years [old], maybe 20,” said Lance Yarbrough, associate professor of geology and geological engineering at University of Mississippi.

Jackson Potholes: Fixing Jackson’s pothole problem: An overwhelming task for a division with 10-12 workers

Good asphalt can last up to 30 years, Yarbrough said, but it has to be maintained to beat out the Mississippi heat and rain. 

“After many years that asphalt ages out in a process called oxidation. All you’re doing is bleeding out bits of volatile materials and it doesn’t look black anymore. It goes to that stained brownish gray,” he said.

There are two main components of asphalt: the binder, which gives asphalt its distinct black coloring, and the aggregate, the sand and rocks mixed in. 

More on Jackson streets: Council approves resurfacing project, but a few members question which streets got picked

Though brown roads in and of themselves are not dangerous, very old asphalt that goes unattended can lead to cracks and potholes. If you notice smooth blacktops in other cities outside of Jackson, it’s from updated maintenance and repaving.

“What you’re seeing now is that lack of maintenance, lack of money being able to do the maintenance,” Yarbrough said.

A close examination of one of Jackson’s tried-and-true roads reveals rocks in rainbow hues of white, red, orange, gray, black and white. 

Griffin Sullivan, materials engineer for Mississippi Department of Transportation, said that as the asphalt on the state’s interstates and highways age, the top layer of black binder wears off, revealing a new color below.  

“The color it changes to is actually just the color of the rocks that we use to make asphalt, so here in Mississippi, we use a lot of gravel to aggregate our asphalt, so it will take on the color of tan,” he said.

Exposure to sun and UV rays also contribute to the discoloration, Sullivan added. 

Why Jackson has so many potholes: Why are there so many potholes, dips and humps in MS roads? | Curious Mississippi answers

Are brown roads unique to Mississippi? Yes and no. In states such as Alabama, where the main material in the aggregate is limestone, older roads will take on a gray tone. But Mississippi gravel, the local aggregate source chosen by asphalt companies for its economic viability and long-lasting road performance, fades to a reddish brown.

“It’s really dependent on the materials it’s made out of,” Sullivan said. “The only time a road is truly black is when it’s first constructed.”

Years later, all that’s left is the rock below.

Have a question? Email CuriousMississippi@ClarionLedger.com.