Mississippi
Republican former congressman endorses Democratic nominee in Mississippi governor’s race
JACKSON, Miss. — The last Republican who lost a general election for Mississippi governor is endorsing the Democratic nominee in this year’s race.
Democrat Brandon Presley’s campaign released a statement Wednesday from former U.S. Rep. Mike Parker, who said he is choosing Presley over first-term Republican Gov. Tate Reeves.
“It’s a big deal for me as a former Republican member of Congress and as a former Republican nominee for governor to vote for a Democrat,” Parker said. “But I’m supporting Brandon Presley because he’s a good man, he’s a conservative, he’s pro-life, and he’s exactly what Mississippi needs at this point in time. Tate Reeves has failed Mississippi. Brandon will not.”
Presley has been trying to appeal to voters across party lines.
“I want to win this election with a bipartisan, biracial coalition — for Black Mississippians and white Mississippians, Republicans, Democrats, independents,” Presley said during an appearance last week in Summit.
Parker was elected to Congress from a southwest Mississippi district in 1988 as a Democrat. He became a Republican in November 1995, a year after the GOP gained control of the U.S. House.
Parker was the Republican nominee for governor in 1999, and lost a close race to Democrat Ronnie Musgrove, who was lieutenant governor.
Mike Parker, left, a former U.S. representative and 1999 Republican nominee for Mississippi governor, is photographed with his wife Rosemary Parker on Jan. 4, 2000, in Jackson, Miss. Parker announced on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, that he is endorsing Democrat Brandon Presley for governor over Republican Gov. Tate Reeves in the Nov. 7, 2023, general election. Credit: AP/ROGELIO SOLIS
Reeves campaign spokesperson Clifton Carroll said in a statement Wednesday: “It’s no surprise that former Democrat Congressman Mike Parker, who endorsed Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, is continuing his trend of endorsing liberal democrats.”
In 2016, Parker was among 30 Republicans who had served in Congress who signed a letter saying they could not support Republican nominee Donald Trump for president. The letter said Trump “makes a mockery of the principles and values we have cherished and which we sought to represent.”
In 2020, Parker was among more than two dozen Republican former members of Congress who endorsed Democrat Joe Biden over Trump.
Reeves has supported Trump, and Trump endorsed Reeves in 2019.
Republican Gov. Tate Reeves speaks at Bolton-Edwards Elementary/Middle School, in Bolton, Miss., on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. On Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, Republican former U.S. Rep. Mike Parker, who was the 1999 GOP nominee for governor, announced he is endorsing Democratic gubernatorial nominee Brandon Presley over Reeves in the Nov. 7, 2023, general election. Credit: AP/Rogelio V. Solis
The 1999 governor’s race had to be decided in the Mississippi House because neither Musgrove nor Parker fulfilled the two requirements to win the race, which also had two little-known candidates. To win a governor’s race at the time, a candidate had to receive at least 50% of the popular vote and win at least 62 of the 122 state House districts.
Musgrove received a few thousand more votes than Parker but fell short of a majority. Musgrove and Parker each won 61 House districts. House members were not obligated to vote as their districts did, and the Democratic-controlled House elected Musgrove, with many members saying they voted for him because he received more of the popular vote than Parker.
Republicans have controlled the Mississippi House since 2012. And, Mississippi voters in 2020 repealed the two-pronged requirement for electing a governor. Winning now requires a simple majority of the popular vote. If more than two candidates are running and nobody wins a majority, the race goes to a runoff three weeks later.
An independent candidate, Gwendolyn Gray, is on the ballot along with Reeves and Presley in the Nov. 7 general election.
Musgrove served one term as governor before losing to Republican Haley Barbour in 2003. After Barbour served two terms, which is the maximum allowed by Mississippi law, he was succeeded by Republican Phil Bryant, who also served two terms before Reeves was elected in 2019.
Mississippi
Leading rusher Davon Booth announces return to Mississippi State football for 2025 season
Mississippi State football will leading rusher Davon Booth back next season season.
The running back and the Bulldogs revealed the news in a joint social media post on Tuesday that said, “Booth is back.”
Booth, who was a senior and out of eligibility, is allowed to return because of an NCAA decision in December to grant junior college players an extra year of eligibility for 2025-26. Booth played two seasons at Cerritos College in 2021 and 2022 before joining Utah State and transferring to MSU.
He rushed for 759 yards and five touchdowns this season and also caught four touchdowns. Booth also returned kickoffs, averaging 25.7 yards per return.
What Davon Booth’s return means for Mississippi State
The running back room looks like it will be one of the strengths for the Bulldogs with Booth’s return.
In addition to Booth, Mississippi State added South Alabama’s Fluff Bothwell in the transfer portal, who was an All-Sun Belt Third Team selection as a freshman this season. MSU is also expecting Seth Davis to be healthy after he missed the entire season with a knee injury. In 2023, Davis was second on the team in rushing and averaged 6.0 yards per carry. Xavier Gayten, a former four-star recruit, also flashed potential in a limited role this season as a freshman.
What’s most encouraging about Booth is how he finished the season. He didn’t arrive at Mississippi State until after the spring semester and didn’t run efficiently in the first half of the season. However, Booth had a five-game stretch in the second half of the season with at least 90 scrimmage yards in each game. That includes 100-yard rushing games against Tennessee and Missouri.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
Mississippi State basketball is projected for its highest NCAA tournament seed in 20 years.
The Bulldogs (13-1, 1-0 SEC) are off to a strong start to the season with only one loss − to Butler on a neutral court. They play at Vanderbilt (13-1, 1-0) on Tuesday (8 p.m., ESPNU).
Here is where MSU stands in the latest NCAA tournament projections.
Mississippi State basketball is as high as a No. 3 seed
CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm has Mississippi State as a No. 3 seed in the South Region. The Bulldogs would be matched up with No. 14 South Dakota State in Milwaukee. The winner would play either No. 6 seed Purdue or No. 11 seeds Vanderbilt or New Mexico, who are projected to play in the First Four.
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi lists MSU as a No. 4 seed in the West Region, matching up with No. 13 Grand Canyon. The second-round game would be against either No. 5 UCLA or No. 12 UC San Diego. Both rounds would be played in Denver.
Mississippi State basketball’s NCAA tournament resume
The Bulldogs are ranked No. 13 in the NCAA NET rankings as of Tuesday. They are 3-0 in Quad 1 games, beating Memphis, Pittsburgh and SMU. The loss to Butler is Quad 2, but MSU has wins in that quadrant against McNeese and Utah.
MSU’s 85-50 win against South Carolina on Saturday in the SEC opener is Quad 3.
Mississippi State is slated to play five straight Quad 1 games until it visits South Carolina on Jan. 25.
Mississippi State basketball’s NCAA tournament history under Chris Jans
The Bulldogs have made the NCAA tournament twice in coach Chris Jans’ two seasons but haven’t won a game.
In 2023, they were in the First Four and loss to Pitt by one point. Last season, No. 8 seed MSU lost by 18 to No. 9 Michigan State in the first round.
Mississippi State last won an NCAA tournament game in 2008, a first-round win against Oregon. It has not advanced past the round of 32 since 1996.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) – With temperatures forecast to drop below freezing overnight, residents took action to combat the cold on Monday.
With the big chill setting in until midweek, both the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and Mississippi Power posted reminders on social media about the importance of protecting the “Four P’s” – people, pets, plants, and pipes.
The following tips are recommended to keep everyone safe and warm:
- Check on family, friends, and neighbors, especially those with special needs and the elderly.
- Bring pets indoors. Remember, it’s a Mississippi law for pet owners to provide adequate shelter.
- Insulate or wrap exposed water pipes. Keep water dripping to avoid freezing.
- Cover any outdoor plants or bring them inside.
Pine Hills Nursery Manager Rachel Bond told WLOX that it’s not too late to bring plants inside.
“Yes, if you can bring the plant indoors, we do recommend that because you can control the environment and it is much warmer,” Bond said. “If it is something permanent that you can’t bring in, then we recommend covering it with a soft layer like a blanket or sheet and then plastic or tarp over that.”
“Then once temperatures are above freezing the next day you can go ahead and remove that,” she continued. “You don’t want to leave it covered for several days in a row. You want to uncover it and cover it again if you have to.”
The EMA also stressed the importance of preparing a “go-kit” for the vehicle, containing the following items:
- First Aid Kit
- Flashlight
- Battery Radio
- Jumper Cables
- Blanket
- Water & Non-perishable Food
- Playing Cards
- Extra Fuel
- Power Bank
- Ice Scraper
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