State Sen. Jenifer Branning and Justice Jim Kitchens were locked in a closely contested runoff for a Mississippi Supreme Court seat late Tuesday, with votes still being counted.
Meanwhile, Amy St. Pe' secured a victory in the race for an open Mississippi Court of Appeals seat.
Mississippi Supreme Court Race Too Close to Call
The race for the Supreme Court's District 1, known as the Central District, was too close to call as of midnight ET. Branning led Kitchens by a razor-thin margin of 518 votes—0.44 percentage points—out of over 128,000 votes tallied. With more than 11,000 votes still uncounted, the final outcome hinged on remaining ballots.
Kitchens, seeking his third term, is the senior presiding justice and next in line to become chief justice.
He is backed by the Southern Poverty Law Center's Action Fund, which describes itself as "a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond." Kitchens has a history of siding with defendants in controversial cases, including death row appeals.
Branning, endorsed by the state Republican Party, identifies as a "constitutional conservative" and opposes what she calls "liberal, activist judges" and "the radical left." She secured 42 percent of the vote in the Nov. 5 general election, compared to Kitchens' 36 percent.
Voter Turnout Challenges Runoff Candidates
The runoff, held just two days before Thanksgiving, posed significant challenges for voter turnout. Historically, participation drops between general elections and runoffs, and this year proved no exception.
Both campaigns worked to mobilize voters in a race that reflected the broader partisan divide of the state.
Mississippi judicial races are officially nonpartisan, but voting patterns mirrored party allegiances. Democratic-leaning areas favored Kitchens, while Republican strongholds backed Branning.
St. Pe' Clinches Court of Appeals Seat
In the Court of Appeals race, Amy St. Pe' emerged victorious, defeating Jennifer Schloegel in a southeastern district that includes the Gulf Coast. St. Pe', a municipal judge in Gautier, received 35 percent of the vote in the general election, while Schloegel, a chancery court judge serving multiple counties, garnered 33 percent.
St. Pe' will succeed Judge Joel Smith, who chose not to seek reelection to the 10-member Court of Appeals. Her win caps a competitive runoff that reflects the importance of judicial elections in shaping Mississippi's legal landscape.
The results of the Supreme Court race are expected to draw significant attention while remaining ballots are tallied, with potential implications for the court's direction in the coming years.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
English (US) ·