Four Tuesday special elections for the Mississippi Legislature to fill vacancies appear headed to October 13 runoffs, according to unofficial and incomplete results from Tuesday’s voting.
The nonpartisan special elections held Tuesday were:
House District 37
Former Lowndes County Schools Superintendent Lynn Wright and business owner David Chism appeared headed to a runoff, in a three-person race to replace longtime Rep. Gary Chism, R-Columbus (cousin of David Chism).
The district includes parts of Clay, Lowndes and Oktibbeha counties.
House District 66
Jackson City Councilman De’Keither A. Stamps and former teacher Robert C. “Bob” Lee Jr. appear to be headed to a runoff. The two led others in a six-person race to replace Rep. Jarvis Dortch, D-Raymond, who resigned to become director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi.
The district is in Hinds County.
Senate District 15
Businessman Bart Williams and educator Joyce Meek Yates appear headed to a runoff after the two led polling in a four-person race to replace longtime Sen. Gary Jackson, R-French Camp, who resigned in June for health reasons.
The district includes parts of Choctaw, Oktibbeha and Webster counties.
Senate District 39
Attorney Jason Barrett and bank chairman Bill Sones appeared set for a runoff after the two led in a crowded field of nine candidates Tuesday night. The race is to replace longtime Sen. Sally Doty, R-Brookhaven, who resigned in July to take a position as the director of the state Public Utilities Staff.
The district includes parts of Copiah, Lawrence, Lincoln and Walthall counties.
Good Wednesday morning everyone! Temperatures are in the low to mid 60s th9s morning, under cloudy skies. The remnants of Tropical Storm Beta will move through the area bringing increased rain chances today and more widespread on Thursday. Today, showers will be likely, mainly late afternoon. Otherwise expect cloudy skies, with a high near 69. East northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
TONIGHT: Showers are likely with a Low around 60. East wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible
THURSDAY: Showers with a High near 72. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between 1 and 2 inches posdible.
THURSDAY NIGHT:A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. East northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America
Mike Espy, a Democrat running for U.S. Senate this November, has raised $1 million since Friday.
Democrat Mike Espy, who is challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in November, said Tuesday morning his campaign has raised $1 million since Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death on Friday.
“Since Friday, September 18, Mike Espy has raised five times more than Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith did during the entire second quarter,” Espy’s campaign said in a press release. “Last quarter, Espy for Senate outraised Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith three-to-one.”
Democratic donors nationwide have been pouring money into Senate races since Ginsburg’s death and ensuing debate over whether Republican President Donald Trump should quickly name a replacement for the iconic liberal judge or wait until after the presidential election.
Both Hyde-Smith and Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi have sided with Trump, saying a replacement for Ginsburg should be nominated post-haste and ratified by the Senate before the election.
Mississippi’s Senate race this year has not been considered competitive by most pundits, with Republican incumbent Hyde-Smith expected to easily win reelection in one of the reddest states in the country.
But one poll released this week showed Hyde-Smith with only a one-point lead and the Espy campaign said it has “momentum,” as evidenced by its historic fundraising levels and other polls showing he is closing the gap with Hyde-Smith. The campaign said that over 23,000 first-time donors to the campaign since Friday made an average donation of $23.
While a fundraising advantage doesn’t translate to votes, an influx of cash 42 days from Election Day could loom large for Espy, who has acknowledged his need to reach more Mississippi voters during the COVID-19 pandemic and has largely been ignored by national Democrats.
Hyde-Smith, meanwhile, has struggled raising cash this cycle. Among incumbent senators, Hyde-Smith has raised less than 96 incumbent senators, including Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, who doesn’t face another election until 2024. The three Senate incumbents who raised less than Hyde-Smith have announced they will not seek re-election.
“It’s more clear than ever that people are tired of Senator Hyde-Smith’s record of hurting this state and holding it back,” Espy’s campaign manager Joe O’Hern said. “Mississippians are looking for an independent leader who is standing up for them — not a Senator who has hidden from them during a pandemic and the crushing economic crisis.”
Good Tuesday morning and welcome to the first day of Fall ya’ll!! Temperatures are hovering around 60°F this morning, under mostly cloudy skies. We have a slight chance of showers today, but the greater chance will come overnight. Expect mostly cloudy skies, with a high near 75. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
TONIGHT: A 50% chance of showers overnight. Otherwise, expect cloudy skies, with a low around 60. East northeast wind around 5 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
The deadline to register to vote in the November 3 general election is Monday, October 5; exactly two weeks away. What can you do right now to be prepared for the polls? Check out the voting information from our 2020 Voter Guide below. You can view the full 2020 Voter Guide here.
We also want to hear from you about your voting plans. Please take a moment to fill out our quick survey at the bottom of the page. You can skip ahead to the survey here.
Register to vote.
Don’t know if you’re registered? Search your name on the Secretary of State’s website and find out if you are registered.
Not registered? The deadline to register to vote in the general election is October 5, 2020 at 5:00 pm.
Applicants who register in-person in the Circuit Clerks’ Offices no later than 5:00 p.m. and those who mail registration applications post-marked no later than October 5 are eligible to vote in the November General Elections. Apply through the Secretary of State’s Office.
What do you need to bring to your polling place or to the Circuit Clerk’s office for absentee voting? Visit the Secretary of State’s list of acceptable forms of ID and find out if you need a Mississippi Voter Identification Card.
Mark your calendar for the General Election day, Tuesday, November 3. Make sure to set a notification so you’re reminded in advance. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Mississippi is among the minority of states that do not allow no excuse early voting.
To vote early in Mississippi, a person must be away from home on election day, over age 65 or must have a permanent or temporary disability. During 2020, a person can vote early if under physician-imposed quarantine because of COVID-19 or taking care of someone under a physician-imposed quarantine.
*Lawsuits are currently ongoing over exactly who can vote early under the coronavirus exception.
Absentee voting, in person or by mail, begins today, Sept. 21, in Mississippi.
The absentee ballot became available today, Sept. 21, at the local circuit clerk’s offices. The local circuit clerks also take absentee or early voting requests.
People voting early in person can do so at the local circuit clerks’ offices. People voting early by mail can obtain a ballot request by contacting the local circuit clerks.
The ballot application must be filled out and notarized. When returned, if eligible, the person will then receive a ballot. The ballot also must be notarized under state law.
The mail ballots must be postmarked by the day of the election and must arrive in the circuit clerk’s office no more than five days after the election.
We want to hear from you. Take our quick voting survey:
Deion Sanders was all dressed up in JSU colors just before his introduction.
Yes, winning the introductory news conference is a real thing in 2020. And Deion Sanders, introduced as head football coach at Jackson State on Monday morning, knocked his out of the park like a 450-foot, walk-off grand slam home run.
Clearly, he is, not for nothing, known as Prime Time.
Dressed in a blue sports coat with red buttons, Sanders killed it is what he did, drawing loud cheers from the socially distanced crowd in the Lee E. Williams Athletic and Assembly Center. He spoke with the fervor of a Baptist minister and received more than a few “Amens.” He shed tears. Then he flashed that wide smile. He even invoked a call and response toward the end.
Rick Cleveland .
“Do you believe?” he shouted to his audience.
“We believe,” they shouted back.
On a scale of 1 to 10 for enthusiasm, he was a solid 12. JSU faithful ate it up.
He promised much: to bring Jackson State football back to prominence, to win the SWAC, to successfully recruit players recruited by power five conference teams, to help recruit for all the other JSU athletic programs, to play hard, fast, tough disciplined football, to look good winning and to win professionally.
“I have a commitment to excellence. I believe this is going to be a marriage made in heaven,” Sanders said.
Now then, comes the hard part: Doing it.
(Charles A. Smith/University Communications)
Deion Sanders lived up to his Prime Time nickname Monday.
His job is to rebuild a once proud program that hasn’t experienced a winning season since 2013. The combined record of the last three JSU head coaches over the past five seasons: 21 victories, 40 defeats.
Sanders has to hire a staff, which he has never done before. He has to be the CEO of a team, which he has never done before at this level. He has to supervise an offense, a defense and special teams, which he has never done before, at least at the college level. He has to recruit, which he has never done before (again, at least at the college level).
All this Sanders must do with resources that are minimal and in facilities that are lacking.
You should know Sanders was in the Jackson area in August as the offensive coordinator at Trinity Christian (near Dallas), when Trinity played at Madison Ridgeland Academy. Trinity was led by quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Deion Sanders’ son, a four-star recruit who has committed to Florida Atlantic over Alabama, Florida State, Georgia and others.
MRA, the defending state private schools champion, won the game, scoring late for a thrilling 27-26 victory. I watched it. Both teams appeared well-coached until a questionable decision late in the game. Trinity led 26-20 with under two minutes remaining, needing only to run out the clock behind a big, physical offensive line to win. Instead, on second and seven (from their own 23) the visitors ran a risky reverse, fumbled and MRA recovered and went in for the winning score.
On the other hand, with Sanders calling the plays, Trinity has averaged 46 points a game in the four games since. And, no, we don’t know yet whether or not Shedeur Sanders, clearly a big-time talent, will follow his father to JSU.
We do know from multiple news reports that Deion Sanders was previously involved with another coaching job at another private Texas high school. In fact, Prime Prep Academy, a grouping of charter schools in north Texas, was co-founded by Deion Sanders in 2012. It did not end well. After numerous and well-publicized problems, the school was closed in January of 2015 due to financial insolvency.
Of course, none of that mattered to Jackson State faithful Monday morning when Deion Sanders added to the lengthy list of Pro Football Hall of Famers associated with JSU. The school of Walter Payton, Jackie Slater, Robert Brazile and Lem Barney is now also the school of Deion Sanders.
Winning the introductory press conference does not count in the standings. But for the man known as Prime Time, it was a promising start.
Lucien Smith, chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party, speaks as early results come in at a state GOP election night victory party, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019, in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Lucien Smith on Monday announced he’s stepping down as Mississippi Republican Party chairman, with Gov. Tate Reeves backing Coast businessman Frank Bordeaux to replace him.
Smith said Monday he intends to call a state GOP Executive Committee meeting to elect a new chair.
The move was not unexpected. Numerous Republican sources in July told Mississippi Today that Reeves, as new de facto head of the party in his first term as governor, wanted new leadership. It’s typical for a sitting Republican governor, as head of the state party, to pick a new chairman. While the executive committee technically elects a GOP chairman, a governor’s choice is typically installed by acclamation. There has been no major executive committee challenge to a Republican governor’s chairman nomination in recent history.
“All Republicans should be grateful for Lucien Smith’s steady stewardship of the party,” Reeves said in a statement on Monday. “He has been a great chairman, and will continue to be an important figure in Mississippi.”
“I support Frank Bordeaux, and believe that if the Committee chooses to elect him that he will do an excellent job growing the Republican Party,” Reeves said. “His work ethic, integrity, and conservative credentials are unmatched.”
Frank Bordeaux
Bordeaux, an insurance executive, was chair of Reeves’ Harrison County campaign committee, and a strong showing on the Coast was crucial to Reeves winning last year’s GOP primary and general election. The governor recently appointed Bordeaux to a commission that came up with a new design for the state flag that will go before voters for an up-or-down vote on Nov. 3.
The change in state party leadership, some GOP leaders said, was not because of any major political dispute, and Smith has appeared to be widely respected among party leaders. It’s partly because Smith is an attorney at a major law firm that does millions of dollars in business with the state and Reeves believes that is untoward and wanted a chairman with no such entanglements.
Reeves and Smith did appear to be politically crosswise recently over the Legislature changing the state flag, with its divisive Confederate battle emblem. Although the party proper didn’t take a position, Smith told Mississippi Today, “Now is the time … for Mississippi to retire its current flag and adopt a flag that unifies all Mississippians.”
Reeves, at the time, had opposed the Legislature making the change, saying that decision should be made by popular vote.
Smith on Monday said serving as GOP chair “has been the greatest honor of my professional life and I am proud of what we have achieved.”
Former Gov. Phil Bryant nominated Smith as the 12th chairman of the MSGOP in 2017 after then-Chairman Joe Nosef abruptly resigned.
Smith, an attorney with Balch and Bingham law firm, previously served as chief of staff to Bryant and as counsel and budget adviser to former Gov. Haley Barbour. Smith ran unsuccessfully for state treasurer in 2011.
Smith was at the helm of the party during one of its most politically prosperous times. In last year’s elections, Republicans took all eight statewide elected seats including the the governor’s office, most districtwide seats and increased their supermajority control over the Legislature.
Smith said: “The Republican Party is as strong as it has ever been in Mississippi, and the state is better for it. After three years in this role, I believe it is time for a new chairman … Frank is a friend and a strong Republican. I’m confident the party will continue to prosper under his leadership.”
Coach Deion Sanders, welcome to the home of interesting coaches.
