Mississippi

See who MS Democratic leaders want as their next choice for presidential nominee

Published

2 years ago

July 21, 2024

See who MS Democratic leaders want as their next choice for presidential nominee

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?

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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.

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Mississippi

Carpenter Pole and Piling invests $5M in Mississippi, creating 10 jobs

Published

4 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Carpenter Pole and Piling invests M in Mississippi, creating 10 jobs

Staff
| Mississippi Clarion Ledger

A Mississippi wood products manufacturer is investing nearly $5 million in an expansion.
Carpenter Pole and Piling’s project is expected to create 10 new jobs in Wiggins.
The expansion includes a new treatment plant and an additional 20 acres for storage.
Construction is anticipated to be completed by September 2026.

A wood products manufacturer is set to create new jobs as part of a major expansion.

Carpenter Pole and Piling is investing nearly $5 million into its Wiggins, Mississippi, operation.

The expansion will add 10 new positions and support long-term growth in the region.

“Carpenter Pole and Piling is a true Mississippi success story, and we’re proud to see the company continue investing right here at home,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said.

“This expansion in Stone County is creating new opportunities for hardworking Mississippians while strengthening a company that has long contributed to our state’s economy,” Reeves said. “When Mississippi businesses grow, our communities grow with them, and we remain committed to fostering a business environment where companies can thrive.”

Carpenter Pole and Piling produces utility poles and pilings for marine and foundation use.

The project includes construction of a new treatment plant, investment in a 2,600-cubic-foot autoclave and an alternative treatment option to improve production capacity.

The company is also clearing and preparing an additional 20 acres for a new pole storage yard.

Stone County is also contributing to the project.

The company expects to complete construction by September 2026.

The new roles are expected to be filled by January 2027.

Carpenter Pole and Piling specializes in the production of utility poles. It also manufactures foundation and marine pilings.

The new autoclave will increase production and add an alternative treatment option.

This story was created by business and development writer Ross Reily, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more.

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Mississippi

CBSB: Southern Miss sweeps again, Mississippi State shines in Texas, Ole Miss struggles – SuperTalk Mississippi

Published

16 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

CBSB: Southern Miss sweeps again, Mississippi State shines in Texas, Ole Miss struggles – SuperTalk Mississippi

Southern Miss earned its second consecutive sweep, rounding out a mostly successful weekend of college baseball for Mississippi’s major programs.

The No. 12 Golden Eagles (10-1), fresh off a mercy-rule victory over Alabama, exited a hostile Louisiana Tech environment with three straight wins versus a former conference counterpart. Christian Ostrander’s crew won 8-3 on Friday, cruised to an 11-0 run-rule victory through seven innings on Saturday, and was on the good side of a 6-2 scoreboard in Sunday’s finale.

A three-run bomb by Kyle Morrison in the top of the fourth of Friday’s game put the black and gold up 5-3, and solid pitching carried the team the rest of the way. A six-run top of the fourth of Saturday’s game, in part due to a Matthew Russo 2 RBI single, broke a scoring stalemate and fueled Southern Miss to a win in a shortened matchup. A two-run long ball by Joey Urban in the top of the ninth of Sunday’s battle gave the Golden Eagles a buffer that would not be eclipsed.

Kros Sivley (2-0) was Friday’s winning pitcher after logging a pair of strikeouts in 1.2 innings. Grayden Harris (2-0) got the win on Saturday after fanning five batters and surrendering no runs through six complete innings. Camden Sunstrom (1-0) closed out the finale with the win after striking out two batters and not giving up a hit or a run in the final two frames.

Mississippi State wins two in Texas

The No. 4 Bulldogs (11-1) had a solid weekend in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series. Brian O’Connor’s club handled the weekend test with an 8-4 win over Arizona State, a 15-8 victory over Virginia Tech, and a heartbreaking 8-7 extra-innings loss to No. 1 UCLA.

Mississippi State broke a scoring hiatus on Friday with a strong bottom of the fifth. A Bryce Chance RBI single scored the game’s first run, then a Gehrig Frei homer put the Bulldogs up 4-0. Three insurance runs were added in the next offensive frame, and Mississippi State did not look back. On Saturday, an Ace Reece longball gave the maroon and white a 4-0 lead in the top of the second. Virginia Tech chipped away, cutting the deficit to two runs, until a five-run top of the seventh put things out of reach.

Sunday’s finale was a battle between two teams vying for bragging rights as the nation’s best. The Bruins took an early 3-0 lead, but Mississippi State quickly countered. A two-run bomb by Reed Stallman and an RBI double by Ryder Woodson knotted things up 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth. The Bulldogs added a run in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings to lead 5-3.

A two-out home run by UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky tied the ballgame in the top of the ninth. Mississippi State, with runners on second and third and no outs in the bottom of the ninth, could not send a runner home. A wild pitch and a 2 RBI triple scored three Bruins in the top of the 10th. Stallman hit his second home run of the day to inch the Bulldogs within one run of their foe, but it was not followed up with more scoring.

Winning pitchers for Mississippi State this weekend were Ryan McPherson (2-0) and Tomas Valincius (3-0), while Ben Davis (0-1) was tabbed with the lone loss.

Ole Miss struggles in neutral-site tournament

In its first set of tests versus power conference opponents, the Rebels (10-2) struggled mightily, dropping two of three outings in the BRUCE BOLT College Classic. Mike Bianco’s club fell to Baylor 6-5 in extra innings on Friday before bouncing back on Saturday in an 8-0 win over Ohio State and suffering a 9-2 loss to Coastal Carolina in Sunday’s finale. Ole Miss was a combined 0-18 at the plate with runners in scoring position in the two losses.

Though the weekend didn’t play to the Rebels’ advantage, a few individual performers stood out. Murray State transfer Dom Decker, who entered his junior campaign without hitting a home run, hit three balls over the outfield wall at the Houston Astros’ Daikin Park. Hunter Elliott had a career-high 11 strikeouts on Friday, while Cade Townsend and Taylor Rabe collectively fanned 16 batters in Saturday’s shutout.

Next up

Southern Miss will play a pair of home midweek games, the first being against Mississippi State on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and the second versus Nicholls on Wednesday at 6 p.m., before hosting North Alabama over the weekend.

Mississippi State will host Lipscomb over the weekend after facing the Golden Eagles.

Ole Miss will host Memphis on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. and North Alabama on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., before welcoming Evansville for a weekend series.

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Mississippi

Mississippi State women’s basketball vs LSU, Kim Mulkey score, live updates, start time, TV

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Mississippi State women’s basketball vs LSU, Kim Mulkey score, live updates, start time, TV

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State women’s basketball is playing its final regular season game against No. 6 LSU at Humphrey Coliseum on March 1 (3 p.m., SEC Network).

The Bulldogs (18-11, 5-10 SEC) enter the game on the NCAA Tournament bubble after losing three consecutive games, so an upset win could secure an at-large bid.

The Tigers (25-4, 11-4) and coach Kim Mulkey have won three straight games. Their only losses of the season are to Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Texas and South Carolina.

The Clarion Ledger is bringing you live updates from the game. Follow along.

Watch Mississippi State vs LSU