Legislative Roundup: Franks Fails In Attempt To Win Back Seat
In the Northeast Mississippi HD 19 seat, former Rep. Jamie Franks lost in very convincing fashion in his challenge to Rep. Mark DuVall for the seat he once held. With all the precincts in, DuVall won with 62 percent of the vote. Four years ago, in his losing bid for lieutenant governor, Franks actually did better statewide than he did in his home district yesterday. Franks is still the Mississippi Democratic Party chairman, and I suppose he will stay on through the 2011 elections, but his once rising political career is now all but over.
We have a couple North Mississippi House Democratic primary races where a winner has yet to be called. In HD 13, the seat being vacated by Rep. Jack Gadd, Billy Gray has a narrow lead over Don Randolph with 26 of 31 precincts in. Right now Gray is up by about 60 votes with plenty of counting remaining. Same story in HD 4 which is opened by Rep. Greg Ward’s retirement. Jody Steverson has about a 250 vote lead over James Nunnally with 27 of 29 precincts in. In both of these races, the outstanding precincts are from Benton county. As we have talked about, we will certainly be watching the general election races in these three North Mississippi districts currently held by Democrats.
In the metro area, Josh Harkins defeated Knox Ross 51-49 for the Rankin/ Madison SD 20 seat being vacated by Sen. Lee Yancey. (We will see if Harkins tries for a statewide run in 2015 like Yancey and Charlie Ross in the past two elections). In the Madison/ Jackson based SD 25 seat being vacated by Sen. Walter Michel, Will Longwitz has defeated Charles Barbour 53-47. I believe the Democrats have fielded a candidate in SD 25, but these are both strong Republican seats.
A couple Republican incumbents were unseated in the southern part of the state. In SD 40, Angela Hill defeated Sen. Sid Albritton 52-48. In HD 118, Greg Haney unseated Rep. Roger Ishee in a major way, winning 67-33. The primary winners are the general election winners in these two seats.
Sally Doty won the GOP runoff in SD 39. This is the seat being vacated by Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. Doty will face W.L. Rayburn in the general election. In SD 43, Phillip Gandy defeated Connie Wilkerson to win the GOP nomination. Gandy will face James Walley in the general election for the seat that was made open by Sen. Tommy Dickerson’s retirement. In SD 46, Philip Moran won the Republican nomination and will meet Joe Bye in November. This seat was vacated by Sen. David Baria when he made the decision to run for the state House.
Sonya Williams-Barnes won the Democratic primary in HD 119. She will replace Rep. Frances Fredericks who decided against another run.
What an upset in SD 25. I guess that weak mailer Barbour and his consultant came up with failed. Really surprised by this upset. Barbour was the better of the candidates and had such strong name ID.
How do these runoff results impact the GOP ambition to take the legislature? What are the chances of a GOP majority in both houses of the Mississippi legislature>
If you ask me, GOP leg chances not good. I predict the dems will repeat 2007 with increases in the house and retaking the senate. They thought I was crazy saying that 4 years ago and it happened with Haley leading the statewide ticket.
Jarod,
I can tell you for a fact that you are right. I’m not sure Phil is gonna win this. Our party has been taken over by elite special; interests aznd the peoplei of Mississippi know it.
I wasn’t very well accepted at the snob level, but a lot of folks told me they have just lost interest andf faith in the credibility of our Party. I don’t blame them.
Why would middle class working men and women even make a choice as to who steals from them? It doesn’t matter..
Repiublican turnout will be low and the Dems. will winn. Our party has nothing but sound bites to offer. We could do better, but with our current leadership, that ain’t gonna happen.
Thanks Ron for not thinking I`m crazy thinking the Dems stand a good chance of doing well in both houses of the state legislature. My political science professor told me I was wrong for thinking the Dems would recapture the senate in `07. He told the whole class I was dead wrong and that the Repubs were here to stay in the upper chamber. Then the people voted a majority Dem senate. My heart of hearts tells me the same will happen again and the Dems will hold the speakership in the House.
As far as the house and senate makeup, it’s local. Mississippians typically vote for the person, not party. There are several races in south MS where incumbent Dems will face Republican nominees who got into the race late. Hopefully that won’t help the incumbent stay in. It makes me wonder if Peranich and Dedeaux had supporters vote in our primary so they didn’t have to face opponents who had been campaigning for over a year.