Republican state Sen. Jenifer Branning of Neshoba County defeated incumbent state Supreme Court Justice Jim Kitchens for a seat on the state’s highest court, giving the state GOP a decisive win as they seek to tighten their grip on political and judicial power in Mississippi. 

The Associated Press on Friday called the race for Branning as counties finished transmitting official results from the Nov. 26 runoff election to the Secretary of State’s office. With 99% of the vote reported, Branning received 50.6% of the vote while Kitchens received 49.4%. 

Branning is a private practice attorney who was first elected to the Legislature in 2015. She has led the Senate Elections and Transportation committees. During her time at the Capitol, she has been one of the more conservative members of the Senate, voting against changing the state flag to remove the Confederate battle emblem, voting against expanding Medicaid to the working poor and supporting mandatory and increased minimum sentences for crime.

While campaigning, she pledged to ensure that “conservative values” are always represented in the judiciary, but she stopped short of endorsing policy positions, which Mississippi judicial candidates are prohibited from doing.

Judicial races in Mississippi are technically nonpartisan, but party politics still plays a significant role in the elections. Political parties and trade associations often contribute money to candidates and cut ads for them. 

The state Republican Party worked hard to oust Kitchens, one of the dwindling number of centrist jurists on the high court, and consolidate its infrastructure behind Branning. The GOP endorsed Branning’s campaign. 

Kitchens’ narrow loss to Branning is notable because the longtime jurist was the next in line for chief justice should current Chief Justice Michael Randolph step down. 

Kitchens was first elected to the court in 2008 and is a former district attorney and private-practice lawyer. On the campaign trail, he pointed to his experience as an attorney and judge, particularly his years prosecuting criminals and his rulings on criminal cases. 

A Crystal Springs resident, he is one of two centrist members of the high Court and was widely viewed as the preferred candidate of Democrats, though the Democratic Party did not endorse his candidacy. 

When Kitchens leaves office, that will make Justice Leslie King, elected from the Central District, the second highest-ranking judge and Justice Josiah Coleman, elected from the Northern District, the third most senior judge on the court. 

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