On Tuesday, four candidates in the state’s judicial races will compete in the runoff for a seat on the Mississippi Supreme Court and a seat on the Mississippi Court of Appeals.
In the Supreme Court’s Central District, state Sen. Jenifer Branning, R-Philadelphia, is running against incumbent Jim Kitchens, while in the race for the Court of Appeals, Jennifer Schloegel is running against Amy St. Pe’ for the District 2 position 5 .
The second round is Tuesday, November 26, just two days before Thanksgiving.
Here is an overview of the candidates:
Candidates for the Central District of the Mississippi Supreme Court
Kitchens is running for his third term.
Kitchens, of Crystal Springs, has been a lawyer for 41 years and has served on the Mississippi Supreme Court since 2008. Before that he was also a public prosecutor.
Candidates heading to the second round: Candidates for the Mississippi Supreme Court are preparing for a runoff. Look what happened
A poll worker at the Wood Activity Center in Clinton hands an “I Voted” sticker to a voter on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. The judicial second elections are on Tuesday, November 26.
Kitchens, unlike his opponent, Branning, has not been endorsed by any political party in this race, but several top Mississippi Democrats have thrown their support behind him. As of Oct. 30, he has raised $71,031 in campaign donations.
Branning has been a senator since 2016 after winning the seat of Giles Ward. Ward chose not to run for re-election. Branning has not previously held judicial office, but she served as a special prosecutor in Neshoba and as a staff attorney in the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Division of Business Services and Regulations.
More: Why MS Supreme Court races matter. Fierce fighting can change the balance and rulings for years
Throughout her campaign, she has called herself a constitutional conservative, vowing not to “legislate” from the bench. She has also been endorsed by the Republican Party of Mississippi and has received numerous donations from conservative groups in the state, as well as from some of her conservative colleagues in the Mississippi Legislature.
As of October 30, her campaign has raised $116,195 in donations.
Mississippi’s judicial seats, with the exception of district court judges, must be nonpartisan under state statutes, but Kitchens has said there has never been a judicial race where he hasn’t seen politics involved.
Candidates for the Mississippi Court of Appeals
In the race for the Mississippi Court of Appeals, St. Pe’ received the most votes on election night, with Schloegel close behind.
They are vying to succeed Joel Smith, who decided not to run for re-election this year.
St. Pe’, a resident of Pascagoula, has served as a municipal court judge, as a city attorney and as an attorney in private practice. She also provides legal advice to the Pascagoula Redevelopment Authority, an urban renewal organization.
As of Oct. 30, her campaign has raised $27,600.
Schloegel, a Gulfport resident, is currently serving a fourth term as a chancery judge in Harrison, Hancock and Stone counties.
As of Oct. 30, her campaign has raised $27,600
How do you find your polling station?
To find your voting location for the runoff, visit the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office website under the My Election Day tab.
If you think your location may have changed or you can’t access the website, call or visit your county circuit office, which should also have a listing of your polling place.
Go here to find your polling place.
Grant McLaughlin covers the legislature and state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi Runoff Elections: Supreme Court, Court of Appeals Seats
