Mississippi

Mississippi Supreme court, Court of Appeals races heading to runoffs on Nov. 26

Published

1 year ago

November 11, 2024

Mississippi Supreme court, Court of Appeals races heading to runoffs on Nov. 26

In-person absentee voting for runoffs begins Nov. 16

It’s official. The Mississippi Supreme Court Central District and the contested Mississippi Court of Appeals race is heading into runoffs on Nov. 26, just two days before Thanksgiving.

Though it became likely by mid-week, the Associated Press did not announce the runoffs until Friday afternoon.

In the Mississippi Supreme Court Central District race, State Sen. Jenifer Branning, R-Philadelphia, and sitting court justice Jim Kitchens will again face off. Other candidates in the race who will not be in the runoff were Ceola James, a former Mississippi Court of Appeals Judge, and private-practice attorneys Abby Gale Robinson and Byron Carter.

By Sunday, Branning had 41.8% of the votes (132,420), while Kitchens had 35.6% (112,935) of the votes cast in the supreme court race. Both candidates told the Clarion Ledger before Nov. 5 they were prepared for a runoff.

“There’s a clear choice in this Runoff because I’m the only candidate who will bring new energy and Constitutional conservative leadership to the Mississippi Supreme Court,” Branning said in a Facebook post Wednesday. “I’m the only candidate with legal and legislative experience, and I’m the only candidate endorsed by the Mississippi Republican Party.”

The races are supposed to be nonpartisan, meaning no candidate can run with a party affiliation. According to Kitchens, in the 30 years since the state enacted laws mostly to remove partisanship from the courts, he hasn’t seen a judge race without a political element.

Kitchens told the Clarion Ledger he had declined an official endorsement from the Mississippi Democratic Party, but several Democratic leaders in the state have donated to his campaign and been outspoken supporters.

“During the next three weeks, I’ll work harder than ever to inform the voters why I’m ready, willing and able to serve them better than any other candidate,” Kitchens said.

Mississippi Court of Appeals runoff

In the Mississippi Court of Appeals, Amy St. Pe’ will face Jennifer Schloegel. By Sunday, the AP reported St Pe’ to have 35.2% of the votes (84,399), while Schloegel had 33% (78,900).

“I cannot overstate how appreciative I am for everyone who voted for me on Tuesday and worked hard on my campaign to serve you as Judge on the Court of Appeals,” Schloegel said in a Saturday Facebook post. “As we head into the run-off, I will work just as hard to keep your support.”

Whether Schloegel would challenge St. Pe’ in the runoff had been a question mark since Tuesday, when the other candidate in the race, Ian Baker, was gaining on her slim lead. In the end, he was left with 2,909 fewer votes than Schloegel, according to AP results reported on Sunday.

Are absentee ballots still being counted in Mississippi?

Even though all of the races in Mississippi have been called, there are still a few absentee ballots left to tally. Election workers have until Wednesday to finish counting them.

Despite the remaining ballots, this election’s voter turnout will fall much lower than in previous years.

The Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office Communications Director Elizabeth Jonson told the Clarion Ledger last week voter turnout will come to about or just above 60%, meaning tens of thousands fewer of Mississippi’s electorate actually voted by the end of Election Day.

When can I start absentee voting in runoff elections?

According to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office, people can begin in-person absentee voting on Nov. 16 and will have until Nov. 23 to do so at circuit clerk offices. Mail-in absentee ballots will need to be post-marked by Election Day to be counted.

Will judicial candidates continue campaigning?

Branning, Kitchens, St. Pe’ and Schloegel will all need to continue campaigning for the next several weeks.

Kitchens needs to make up a 6% lead that Branning has on him, but both candidates are likely to receive some of the support that James, Carter and Robinson did on Nov. 5. As for Schloegel, she has a less than a 2% margin to make up for on St. Pe’, with many of Baker’s voters also likely to go to either of them.

A November runoff historically has lower turnout than the general election, and with the stressful races such as U.S. President and Congress finished, there is likely to be some voter fatigue.

“Runoff elections generally receive lower voter turnout than general elections,” an elections study by USA Facts found. “Turnout rates depend on a variety of factors including which office is up for election, the competitiveness of the race, and media coverage of the runoff.”

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

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Mississippi

Thompson defeats Turnage to highlight U.S. House primaries in Mississippi – SuperTalk Mississippi

Published

3 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Thompson defeats Turnage to highlight U.S. House primaries in Mississippi – SuperTalk Mississippi

Political newcomer and Capitol Hill attorney Evan Turnage proved no match for longtime U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, who defeated him and one other challenger to earn the Democratic nomination for Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District on Tuesday.

Some politicos thought Turnage – who went to Yale and later worked for some of Thompson’s Democratic colleagues, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) – wouldn’t necessarily win but could make waves as one of the more viable candidates to challenge Thompson in recent years. However, that wasn’t the case as Thompson garnered approximately 85% of the vote when the race was called.

Democrat Evan Turnage, who is challenging Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., in the March primary, poses for a portrait in Jackson, Miss., Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Sophie Bates, File)

Thompson, 78, is seeking an 18th term. The civil rights leader who chaired the Jan. 6 Committee was first elected in 1993 and serves as a ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee. He will face either Ron Eller or Kevin Wilson on the Republican side, a race yet to be called as of late Tuesday night, and independent Bennie Foster in November’s general.

All of Mississippi’s U.S. House seats are up for grabs this year.

In the 1st Congressional District, Republican Rep. Trent Kelly ran unopposed, while civil rights attorney and University of Mississippi School of Law professor Cliff Johnson beat former state lawmaker Kelvin Buck in the Democratic primary. Libertarian challenger Johnny Baucom awaits Kelly and Johnson in the general.

In the 3rd Congressional District, both Republican Rep. Michael Guest and Democrat Michael Chiaradio ran unopposed. They will meet Libertarian Erik Kiehle in the general.

In the 4th Congressional District, Republican Rep. Mike Ezell had over 80% of the vote when his race was called against former Mississippi Department of Marine Resources officer and political staffer Sawyer Walters. State Rep. Jeffrey Hulum easily won the Democratic nomination over Paul Blackman and D. Ryan Grover. Ezell and Hulum will face independent Carl Boyanton in the general.

Arguably the most watched races of the night occurred in the state’s lone U.S. Senate seat in this year’s cycle. Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith had no problem with Ocean Springs doctor Sarah Adlakha, seeing her name bolded around 30 minutes after the polls closed. It wasn’t long after that when Lowndes County District Attorney Scott Colom was announced the winner of the Democratic primary over Priscilla Till and Albert Littell. Independent Ty Pinkins will meet Hyde-Smith and Colom in the general on Nov. 3.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Mississippi

Mississippi First Congressional District Primary 2026: Live Election Results, Buck vs. Johnson

Published

15 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Mississippi First Congressional District Primary 2026: Live Election Results, Buck vs. Johnson

Source: Election results are from The Associated Press.

By The New York Times election results team: Michael Andre, Neil Berg, Matthew Bloch, Lily Boyce, Irineo Cabreros, Nico Chilla, Nate Cohn, Annie Daniel, Saurabh Datar, Andrew Fischer, Martín González Gómez, Jasmine C. Lee, Alex Lemonides, Zach Levitt, Ilana Marcus, Alicia Parlapiano, Dan Simmons-Ritchie, Caroline Soler, Charlie Smart, Jonah Smith and Christine Zhang.

Additional contributions by Sarah Cahalan, Amanda Cordero, Patrick Hays, Jacob Meschke and Jessica White.

Edited by Wilson Andrews, Lindsey Rogers Cook, William P. Davis, Kenan Davis, Amy Hughes, Ben Koski and Allison McCartney.

Source: Election results are from The Associated Press.

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Mississippi

Mississippi Top Reads for week of March 15, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Mississippi Top Reads for week of March 15, 2026

Staff Reports
| Special to the Mississippi Clarion Ledger

Sunday, March 15, 2026

1. (tie) “The Irish Goodbye,” Beth Ann Fennelly, Norton; and “Vigil,” George Saunders, Random House

2. “Theo of Golden,” Allen Levi, Atria Books

3. “The Widow,” John Grisham, Doubleday

4. “The Correspondent,” Virginia Evans, Random House

5. “When It’s Darkness on the Delta,” W. Ralph Eubanks, Beacon Press

6. “Eradication,” Jonathan Miles, Doubleday

7. “Neptune’s Fortune,” Julian Sancton, Random House

8. “The Dean,” Sparky Reardon, The Nautilus Publishing Company

9. “Kin,” Tayari Jones, Random House

10. “Brawler,” Lauren Groff, Riverhead

Children and young adults

1. “The Bear and the Hair and the Fair,” Em Lynas, Little Brown

2. “The Hybrid Prince,” Tui T. Sutherland, Scholastic Press

3. “One Mississippi,” Steve Azar,Sarah Frances Hardy (Illustrator), The Nautilus Publishing

4. “If You Make a Call on a Banana Phone,” Gideon Sterer, HarperCollins

5. (tie) “Fancy Nancy: Besties for Eternity,” Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser (Illustrator), HarperCollins; and “The Dark is For,” Jane Kohuth, Simon and Schuster

Adult events (Sunday, March 15–Saturday, March 21)

Amy McDowell in conversation with Jodi Skipper for “Whispers in the Pews,” 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Off Square Books, 129 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2262

Tayari Jones on Thacker Mountain Radio Hour for “Kin,” 6 p.m. Thursday, Off Square Books, 129 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2262

Children’s events (Sunday, March 15–Saturday, March 21)

No Cap Book Club (kids 10-13) will be reading “A Kid’s Book About…,” 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, Square Books Jr., 111 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2207

Storytime, “Clifford: Dream Big,” 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, Square Books Jr., 111 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2207

Chapter Captains Book Club (kids 6-9) will be reading “Princess in Black: Bathtime Battle,” 6:00 p.m. Thursday, Square Books Jr., 111 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2207

Storytime, “What a Small Cat Needs,” 10:00 a.m. Saturday, Square Books Jr., 111 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2207

Story Time, “Very Hungry Caterpillar” Day! 10 a.m. Saturday, Lemuria Books, 202 Banner Hall, 4465 I-55 North, Jackson, 601-366-7619

— Sales and/or Events Reported by Lemuria Books (Jackson); Lorelei Books (Vicksburg); Square Books (Oxford).

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