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Republican Gov. Tate Reeves was reelected Tuesday, defeating Democratic challenger Brandon Presley in a tight race that political experts around the country had closely eyed for weeks as a potential upset.

But Reeves held Presley off, winning 52% to 46%, according to results at 11:30 p.m.. Third-party candidate Gwendolyn Gray, an independent, garnered about 2%. The governor’s margin of victory is expected to shrink slightly as tens of thousands of votes were still uncounted in Hinds County, which experienced major election problems on Tuesday.

RESULTS: Mississippi’s general election 2023

Reeves, the 49-year-old who previously served two terms as lieutenant governor and two terms as state treasurer, will serve a second and final four-year term as governor beginning in January 2024. He will be the first person in Mississippi elected to both two terms as lieutenant governor and two terms as governor.

“This victory sure is sweet,” Reeves told cheering supporters at his watch party in Flowood. “You know, we all now know what it means in a state like Mississippi when you stand up to the national liberals and you stand up to Joe Biden. They threw everything they had at Mississippi — $13 million they threw at Mississippi. But you know what? Mississippi did not bend, Mississippi did not break, Mississippi is not for sale.”

In downtown Jackson, many of Presley’s supporters left his watch party before the race was officially called. But at 10:45 p.m. Presley announced to dozens of attendees that he’d conceded the race to Reeves.

“Tonight’s a setback, but we’re not going to lose hope because this campaign elevated issues that had to be talked about in Mississippi,” Presley said. “Medicaid will be expanded at some point and you will have played a role in that.

“This campaign’s been tough … but I think we’ve seen the best of Mississippi through it. It’s been worth it to elevate these important issues.”

For weeks, Republican political operatives publicly fretted over Reeves’ ability to enthuse the GOP voter base. In the closing days of the campaign, Republican elected officials swarmed the airwaves with pleas for turnout. And notably, less than a week from Tuesday, the Reeves campaign rolled out a video endorsement from former President Donald Trump that aired constantly on TV across the state.

In conservative pockets of the state on Election Day, Reeves matched or came close to matching the margins he earned four years ago against Democratic challenger Jim Hood. In Jones County, for instance, Reeves earned 66% of the vote against Presley. Four years ago, he earned 65% there.

And Presley did not make up enough of those Reeves margins with any other key demographic or locale. Presley hoped to perform better than Hood’s 2019 campaign in northeast Mississippi, but Reeves held his ground there from four years ago. 

Presley also hoped to inspire outstanding turnout from Black Mississippians. Black Mississippians did turn out in droves in some majority-minority counties, voting in higher numbers in 2023 than in 2019. But without more white voter support for Presley, his gains with Black voters were not enough to offset Reeves’ success.

Reeves, in particular, swamped Presley on the Gulf Coast — a region of the state that has long served as the governor’s political firewall. Presley did not, as he’d hoped, make gains in the three coastal counties relative to Hood four years ago.

Perhaps one of the happiest people at Reeves’ party on Tuesday night was former Gov. Haley Barbour, who was mingling among the crowd with a glass of ice-cold bourbon in his hand and a bright smile on his face.

The former two-term governor told Mississippi Today that Reeves won reelection because he’s “done a good job” leading the state through natural disasters and the COVID-19 virus while promoting his office’s work on economic development.

“I sometimes say that his wife Elee has got more of a politician’s personality than he does,” Barbour said. “But he’s got a record that is mighty good to run on.”

While Reeves avoided the upset, he underperformed relative to his seven fellow statewide Republican incumbents. All seven other GOP statewide incumbents won with at least 59% of the vote against their Democratic challengers.

And Presley, when all the votes are counted, will have gotten closer than any Democratic gubernatorial nominee since 1999 to defeating a Republican nominee.

Reeves, for his part, spent much of his victory speech on Tuesday night decrying national liberals, his in-state detractors and the press. He ended his speech with a more hopeful look toward the future.

“I know that over these 20 years, I’ve made mistakes, but I’ve never stopped trying to earn your trust,” Reeves said. “I promise you going forward I’ll work hard. I commit that I’ll stand firm, and I’ll do everything in my power to rally our fellow Mississippians … I want you all to know I value your trust. I’m humbled by your support. And I’m fired up for the next four years.”

The post Gov. Tate Reeves defeats Brandon Presley to secure final term as governor appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Hinds County problems in Mississippi’s statewide general election on Tuesday caused what, in technical legal terms, is known as a mess.

Numerous precincts in Hinds County reportedly ran out of ballots, or of the proper ballots, leaving some voters waiting in line for hours and causing others to give up and go home. This prompted legal filings from multiple groups before normal poll closing time at 7 p.m., and prompted a circuit court judge to order all Hinds County polls stay open until 8 p.m. to allow more people to vote.

But another special judge, appointed by the Mississippi Supreme Court, ruled that people who were in line by 7 p.m. could still vote, but otherwise polls would close at 7 p.m. This is what the law already says voting precincts are supposed to do, let people in line by the deadline vote.

So, for those who returned to or showed up at polls after 7 p.m. — who hadn’t been already standing in line — will their votes count? That answer is unclear, and would probably have to be hashed out by the courts.

READ MORE: Judge extends Hinds County precinct hours after numerous ballot problems

County leaders reported they ran out of ballots and even of printer toner to print more late Tuesday.

Secretary of State Michael Watson said counties are, by statute, supposed to have on hand at least enough ballots to cover 60% of its registered voters.

“That doesn’t mean they can’t have more, but that’s the minimum,” Watson said. “The counties then decide how they are going to disperse the ballots as needed.”

One problem Hinds ran into, Watson said, was that it has many new precinct lines and split precincts from 2020 redistricting, which required many precincts to have different ballots for people voting in the same precincts.

“They might have 10 people at the precinct who get one ballot style, and then 50 who get another ballot,” Watson said. “I think in some cases, this got flipped, and they ended up with 10 of one type when they needed 50. We were getting calls throughout the day about problems in Hinds, and we then learned there were several lawsuits being prepared.”

The Mississippi Democratic Party asked the Hinds County Chancery Court for an emergency order, which was granted by Chancellor Dewayne Thomas, extending voting for one hour, until 8 p.m., in all county precincts.

But in a separate case filed by Mississippi Votes, a Jackson nonprofit, in Hinds Circuit Court, the state Supreme Court appointed a special judge, former Supreme Court Judge Jess Dickinson, to hear the matter. Dickinson issued an order repeating existing state law: that people who were in line when the polls closed at 7 p.m. could vote if they remained in line.

State statute appears to give the state’s high court the task of appointing judges to hear election-day disputes. It says, “The Supreme Court shall shall make judges available to hear disputes in the county in which the disputes occur, but not judge shall hear disputes in the district, subdistrict or county in which he was elected nor shall any judge hear any dispute in which any potential conflict may arise. Each judge shall be fair and impartial and shall be assigned on that basis.”

Watson said counties run their own elections.

“We have the authority to advise them what the law is, but not to tell them what to do,” Watson said.

The post Hinds County ballot shortages causes legal mess on Election Day appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Mississippi’s seven statewide offices down-ticket from governor were contested Tuesday night, but all seven incumbent Republicans easily won reelection.

Republicans also easily held legislative supermajorities in the House and Senate. Although they challenged for numerous seats, even if Democrats had run the tables with all their legislative candidates Tuesday, the GOP would still have held majorities. Democrats did not field enough candidates to overtake the Republicans’ large majorities in either chamber.

Late Tuesday in unofficial and incomplete results, Sen. Kevin Butler, an independent from McComb, appeared to be the only incumbent lawmaker poised to lose reelection, with challenger Gary Broomfield leading him by a wide margin.

LIVE RESULTS: Mississippi’s general election 2023

The Associated Press called the races for all statewide offices except governor early Tuesday night.

Incumbent Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, seeking a second and final term, easily defeated challenger D. Ryan Grover. With partial results in Tuesday night, Hosemann had won with 66% of the vote to Grover’s 34%. Hosemann had a difficult primary this summer, fending off a challenge by Republican state Sen. Chris McDaniel, but little-known Grover was not considered a serious challenger in the general election.

Incumbent Republican Lynn Fitch defeated Democratic challenger Greta Kemp Martin with 64% of the vote to 36% in incomplete results. Fitch previously served two terms as state treasurer. Martin had made access to reproductive rights a main plank of her campaign platform, after Fitch’s office helped overturn Roe v. Wade abortion rights with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a Mississippi lawsuit.

Incumbent Republican Secretary of State Michael Watson defeated Democratic challenger Ty Pinkins with 65% of the vote to 35% in incomplete results.

Incumbent Republican State Auditor Shad White defeated Democratic challenger Larry Bradford with 64% of the vote to 36% with incomplete totals. White was first appointed to the auditor’s post in 2018 by then-Gov. Phil Bryant to fill the unexpired term of Stacey Pickering. White was reelected to his first full term with no opposition in 2019.

Incumbent Republican Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney was reelected to a fifth term Tuesday nigh, defeating Democratic challenger Bruce Burton with 65% of the vote to 35% with incomplete results.

Incumbent Republican Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson defeated Democratic challenger Robert Bradford with 63% of the vote to 37% in incomplete results. Gipson was appointed to the post in 2018 by Bryant to fill out the unexpired term of now U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, then Gipson won election to a full term that began in 2020.

Incumbent Republican Treasurer David McRae defeated Democratic challenger Addie Lee Green with 64% of the vote to 36% in incomplete results. McRae had defeated Green in 2019 to win his first term as treasurer.

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The post Marshall Ramsey: Hinds Co. 2 appeared first on Mississippi Today.

The post Marshall Ramsey: Hinds Co. appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Chancery Judge Dewayne Thomas on Tuesday night extended voting in all Hinds County polling precincts until 8 p.m., giving voters in the state’s most populous county an additional hour to cast ballots in a crowded statewide election. 

The judge issued the order based on an emergency request from the Mississippi Democratic Party, which said in court documents that numerous precincts in the county ran out of ballots to issue voters throughout the day.

The ballot shortage happened in the middle of a bitter governor’s race that has pitted Republican Gov. Tate Reeves against Democratic opponent Brandon Presley. 

Hinds County is located in the state’s metro area and contains a high percentage of Black voters, which tend to swing Democratic. The county would be a crucial voting bloc for Presley, who has mounted a competitive campaign against the incumbent governor.

Nick Cosmos, a legal protection attorney with Presley’s campaign, told Mississippi Today in a statement that the campaign received numerous reports through its election hotline that multiple precincts in the county ran out of ballots throughout the day. 

“We intend for every eligible voter who shows up to vote in Mississippi to be able to cast their ballot. If you are in line, please stay in line or if you have any issues, call the Voter Protection Hotline number at 601-203-4131,” Cosmos said. 

But the Election Day concerns have attracted concerns from both of the state’s political parties. Mississippi GOP Chairman Frank Bordeaux said he spent most of Tuesday traveling around the state but had been briefed on the Hinds County matter. 

“If what I’m hearing is true, it’s very, very concerning,” Bordeaux said. 

Mississippi is a “bottom-up” state when it comes to elections, meaning counties are largely responsible for staffing polling precincts and printing enough ballots. State law requires counties to print a minimum of 60% of ballots reflective of their active voter count. 

If voters are in line by 8 p.m., they can stay in line until they cast a ballot.

The post Judge extends Hinds County precinct hours after numerous ballot problems appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Mississippians cast their votes Tuesday in the contentious governor’s race between Gov. Tate Reeves and Democratic challenger Brandon Presley.

Independent candidate Gwendolyn Gray, who dropped out of the race in early October, withdrew too late to be removed from the ballot. Her candidacy could force the first gubernatorial runoff in the state’s history.

Mississippi Today’s political team compiled key themes to watch tonight as the results come in.

LIVE RESULTS: Mississippi’s general election 2023

Will there be a runoff?

Pre-election polling from both Democrats and Republicans showed Reeves right at or just under earning 50% of the vote. If Gray, the independent candidate, earned enough of a protest vote on Tuesday, the top two vote-getters will face each other in a Nov. 28 runoff election.

The number to watch here is between 3% and 4%. One Republican consultant shared with Mississippi Today that they believe if Gray gets at least 3% of the overall statewide vote, it could be enough to keep Reeves or Presley under 50% and force a runoff. A second Republican consultant said it may take 4% support for Gray to force a runoff.

In 2019, there were two third-party candidates who ran against Reeves, the Republican nominee, and Jim Hood, the Democratic nominee. Together, those two third-party candidates only garnered 1.3% of the overall vote.

Did Reeves get enough conservative support?

Reeves this cycle notably struggled with firing up voters of the Republican Party’s most conservative wing.

If counties that are considered conservative strongholds turn out in numbers equal to or better than 2019, this could be a sign that Reeves has weathered struggles with GOP voter enthusiasm.

Jones County, considered by many the state’s capital of the far-right conservative movement, is a bellwether here. In 2019, Reeves earned 13,784 votes in Jones County — 65% of the county’s total 21,257 residents who cast ballots. If Reeves gets anything less than 13,784 votes today, that could be a sign of lower-than-needed conservative support.

Pearl River County, another strongly conservative locale, is another to watch. In 2019, Reeves earned 10,083 votes here — 77% of the county’s total 13,151 residents who cast ballots. It looks like 10,000 is the magic number for Reeves here, and anything less could show broader problems among Mississippi conservatives.

Did Presley get enough Black voter support?

Presley, if he has any chance of winning or forcing Reeves to a runoff, needs high levels of Black voter support. He has spent 2023 earnestly trying to earn that support, and numerous Black local elected officials have served as his surrogate for months.

Hinds County, of course, is the most critical county in this regard. It’s the most populous county in the state, and it’s 69% Black. In 2019, Hood, the Democrat, beat Reeves here by 56 points (78% to 22%). Hood beat Reeves in Hinds County by 40,527 votes — by far the largest head-to-head defeat in that election.

If Presley has upped that Hinds County margin of victory today, that could be enough to vault the Democrat’s campaign.

Of major note in Hinds County tonight: There were reports of at least nine precincts across the county that ran out of ballots at various points during the day. Multiple lawsuits were filed attempting to extend precinct hours, and less than an hour before the schedule 7 p.m. polling close time, a chancery judge extended the hours at some precincts.

The Gulf Coast battleground

The populous three counties of the Gulf Coast, by many accounts, secured Reeves’ victory in 2019 as he ran up a more than 22,400 vote margin over Hood. Reeves’ margin of victory in those three counties was about half of his overall margin of victory statewide. 

Reeves topped Hood by 18 points in the second-most populous Harrison County. The Coast is a Republican stronghold, but even by that measure Hood performed poorly in turning out Coast Democrats. 

Presley and his campaign have worked hard on the Coast, and focused on turning out Black voters in North Gulfport and Turkey Creek in Harrison County, Moss Point in Jackson County, and other relatively large Democratic areas.

Presley stands little chance of winning the Republican-majority Coast, but if he can substantially reduce Reeves’ margin there he can remain competitive statewide.

How do suburban voters swing?

Presley’s campaign has also targeted voters in suburban counties that typically vote Republican but have trended more toward Democrats in recent years.

In 2019, Reeves shellacked Hood by 23 points — or nearly 8,600 votes — in the state’s third-most populous DeSoto County. While DeSoto remains strongly Republican leaning, its growing population has shifted to include a larger Black voting age population more likely to vote Democratic. Plus, Presley has performed well there in his district runs for Public Service Commissioner, and his campaign this cycle has focused much effort, including a get-out-the-vote ground game, in DeSoto County. It’s highly unlikely Presley could win DeSoto, but cutting losses drastically compared to those Hood suffered there would be something of a victory in an area where Reeves ran up his margin four years ago.

Rankin County, Reeves’ home county and the largest suburban county in the Jackson metro, is another one to watch. In 2019, Reeves won 29,861 votes in Rankin County — 64% of the county’s total 46,654 residents who cast ballots. Presley likely has no hopes of flipping this county, but watch for a smaller Reeves margin of victory in Rankin County. If the margin is less than 16,793 votes, that could be a sign that Presley’s strategy to appeal to moderates worked some.

Staying in the Jackson metro area, don’t forget about Madison County, which was a bright spot for Democrats in 2019. Hood garnered 19,670 votes or 50.4% to become the first Democrat since 1987 to win Madison County. Reeves won 48.7% of the vote in 2019. If Presley expects to win or force a runoff, he needs to at least match Hood’s performance from 2019.

Presley’s northeast Mississippi home

Another county to watch closely that could signal suburban voter support: Lee County in northeast Mississippi.

In the early 2000s, Presley served as mayor of Nettleton, which is situated on the Lee County/Monroe County line. To be successful, Presley needs to do much better in his backyard of Lee County, the most populous county in the area, than Hood did in 2019. Even though Hood is from Chickasaw County, which is contiguous to Lee, he was still swamped by Reeves in Lee County four years ago. In 2019, Reeves captured 14,672 votes or 58.3% in Lee to 10,293 or 40.9% for Hood.

Presley might not need to win Lee County to win or force a runoff, but he needs to do much better than Hood did in 2019. Needless to say, Presley needs to outperform Hood’s 2019 effort throughout northeast Mississippi.

The post How to watch the Mississippi governor’s race results like a political pro appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Mississippi Today, in partnership with The Atlantic, is pleased to announce the State of Our Union: Mississippi, a day-long summit focusing on big issues, solution-makers and thought leaders. The November 30 event, made possible through support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at The Faulkner in downtown Jackson, and will convene local leaders, policy makers, and journalists to highlight the regional issues influencing the national dialogue—including criminal-justice reform, K–12 education, the maternal-health crisis, climate change in the Deep South, and more.

“The State of Our Union is going to be a terrific day in Mississippi for civic dialog,” said Mary Margaret White, CEO of Mississippi Today. “We are proud to be the first ever local newsroom to partner with The Atlantic for a live event. We’ve brought together a line-up of local and regional leaders and journalists, alongside some tremendous national figures to discuss what’s working in Mississippi, and where we have room to grow.”

The State of Our Union will feature some of the South’s greatest minds in journalism, literature, politics and advocacy. In multiple plenary and breakout sessions on Thursday, November 30, these guests will discuss timely and pressing topics facing Mississippi, the South, and the nation as a whole. The program is meant, in part, to elevate the critical local journalism happening across our state and the region, and will also include prominent national voices in media, literature and politics to start meaningful conversations and hopefully inspire deep contemplation about our state and region’s present and future.

“What we hope people take away from this event is that change is possible, compromise is possible, progress is possible, a brighter future is possible,” said Evan Smith, senior advisor to the Emerson Collective and co-founder of the Texas Tribune who advised planning of the Mississippi event. “It all starts with talking and listening to your friends and neighbors — and depends on you being the best civic version of yourself.”

Registration for the in-person event is free, but space is limited. Virtual registration is available and will provide a livestream of the day’s events. To register or learn more about the program visit the State of Our Union website.

The day-long program will conclude with a ticketed event, A Night with the Newsroom, at the Two Mississippi Museums from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Join the Mississippi Today team and featured speakers for drinks, heavy hors d’oeuvres and entertainment by blues legend Jesse Robinson. Tickets are available here, and a young professional’s rate is available to those ages 35 and under. All proceeds directly support the mission-driven journalism at Mississippi Today.

View our just-launched agenda:

10 a.m.

• Welcome Remarks with The Atlantic and Mississippi Today
• State of Our State with Delbert Hosemann, Lieutenant Governor, Mississippi and Adam Ganucheau, editor in chief, Mississippi Today
• The Big Story: Mississippi’s Welfare Scandal with Anna Wolfe, investigative reporter, Mississippi Today
• National Politics With a Southern Flavor with Elise Jordan, political analyst, NBC News and MSNBC; Errin Haines, editor at large, The 19th; Eddie Glaude, professor, Department of African American Studies, Princeton University; Evan Smith, contributor, The Atlantic and senior advisor, Emerson Collective

12 p.m.

• Lunch

1:15 p.m. – Breakout Sessions

• Mothering in Mississippi: The State of Maternal Health, Access, and Outcomes, and the Path Forward, with Getty Israel, founder and CEO, Sisters in Birth; Justin Turner, chief medical officer, Mississippi Department of Health; Michelle Owens, Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist, University of Mississippi Medical Center; Kate Royals, community health editor, Mississippi Today
• Reimagining K–12 Education, with Sanford Johnson, executive director, Teach Plus Mississippi; Kelly Butler, senior advisor, ReadingUniverse.org; Erica Jones, president, Mississippi Association of Educators; Adam Harris, staff writer, The Atlantic
• Investigating Mississippi’s Most Powerful Position, the Sheriff, with Ilyssa Daly, reporter fellow, The New York Times; Brian Howey and Nate Rosenfield, investigative reporting fellows, Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting; Jerry Mitchell, founder, Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting at Mississippi Today

2:15 p.m.

• Climate Change and Environmental Justice in the Deep South, with Vann R. Newkirk II, senior editor, The Atlantic
• The New Deep South, with writer Kiese Laymon; professor, UNC Chapel Hill, and columnist, The New York Times Tressie McMillan Cottom; Terry Baquet, editor in chief, Verite News

4 p.m.

• End of Programming

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Governor

Republican incumbent Gov. Tate Reeves faces Democratic challenger Brandon Presley on Nov. 7. A third candidate, independent Gwendolyn Gray, dropped out of the race in October but will will be on the ballot. Gray’s candidacy could throw the race into chaos, potentially forcing the first gubernatorial runoff in state history.

Lieutenant Governor

Incumbent Republican Delbert Hosemann, seeking a second and final term as lieutenant governor, faces Democratic challenger D. Ryan Grover.

Attorney General

Incumbent Republican Attorney General Lynn Fitch faces Democratic challenger Greta Kemp Martin.

Secretary of State

Incumbent Republican Secretary of State Michael Watson, seeking a second term, faces Democratic challenger Ty Pinkins.

State Treasurer

Democrat Addie Lee Green is challenging Republican incumbent Treasurer David McRae.

State Auditor

Republican incumbent Auditor Shad White faces a challenge from Democrat Larry Bradford.

Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce

Incumbent Republican Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson faces Democratic nominee Robert Bradford.

Commissioner of Insurance

Republican Mike Chaney, seeking his fifth term as Mississippi insurance commissioner, is being challenged by Democrat Bruce Burton in Tuesday’s general election.

Legislative races

Even though all 122 legislative districts will be on Tuesday, Democrats have no chance of wrestling control from the Republican majority later this fall.

Because Democrats are not challenging in enough legislative seats to gain control, the best they can hope for is ending supermajority Republican control of both the House and Senate.

Public Service Commission

Transportation Commission

The post Live results: Mississippi general election 2023 appeared first on Mississippi Today.

The nonprofit Leapfrog Group released its hospital safety grades for the fall of 2023, showing the state’s largest public hospital joined nine others in scoring a “B,” its highest score to date.

Eight years after it received an “F” rating, the University of Mississippi Medical Center scored a “B,” which hospital leaders say is the result of a targeted effort to improve safety measures. 

Eight Mississippi hospitals received an “A” safety score, a decrease from 11 in May. 

Leapfrog, which advocates for hospital transparency, assigns biannual grades to about 3,000 general acute-care hospitals across the nation based on how those institutions protect patients from errors, injuries, accidents and infections. 

UMMC is the state’s only academic medical center and cares for the highest-risk patients in Mississippi. It is also home to the state’s only organ and tissue transplant program, Level I trauma center, and a children’s hospital with specialized pediatric programs.

Its latest grade places it in the ranks with other academic medical centers such as Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville and University of North Carolina Hospitals in Chapel Hill, according to UMMC’s press release. 

“We’re a Level I trauma center, we’re a tertiary care center, we’re an academic medical center, and we’re the only one of those in a state with the sickest patients in the nation,” Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine, said in the press release. 

Following its “F” score back in 2015, the hospital has been gradually increasing its letter grade, receiving a “D” for three years in a row, a “C” for the following four years, and a “B” for the first time this year. 

No Mississippi hospitals received an “F” in the latest report, but three scored a “D,” including Merit Health Central in Jackson. The letter grade is based on the hospital’s performance in five categories: infections, problems with surgery, safety problems, practices to prevent errors, and doctors, nurses and hospital staff. 

Merit Health Central scored worse than average compared to other hospitals in the rate of deaths from serious treatable complications post-surgery, as well as the rate of dangerous objects left in patients’ bodies after surgery. 

The urban hospital, which began cutting services like general surgery and its neonatal intensive care unit last year, has long serviced predominantly Black neighborhoods with a high concentration of people living below the poverty line. 

An estimated 160,000 lives are lost annually across the country due to avoidable medical errors, an improvement from the 205,000 lives in 2016, according to the Leapfrog group. 

This is a full breakdown of hospital ratings.

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