Mississippi Today

Legislative elections: Jason White on path for speakership, first Black Republican elected since 1800s, few incumbents lose

Published

2 years ago

August 9, 2023

Mississippians selected their picks for legislative races on Tuesday in what became a history-making primary election.

Several races had not been called as of Wednesday afternoon as some votes were still being counted. For full live election results, click on the link below.

Rep. Jason White on his way to speakership

State Rep. Jason White overcame a key hurdle Tuesday in his quest to become the state’s next speaker of the House by comfortably winning his primary.

White, a West native, defeated GOP challenger Cliff Hayes on Tuesday with 80% of the votes in his central Mississippi House district. He is unopposed in the November general election.

White, the current House pro-tem and three-term legislator, is viewed as the likely successor to Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, who is not seeking reelection. No other candidate has emerged as a likely competitor to White for the post of speaker.

First Black Republican since 1800s elected

In an historic election, Rodney Hall of DeSoto County will become the first Black Republican member of the Mississippi Legislature since the 1800s. He won in the newly created House District 20 with 55% of the vote against Charlie Hoots.

Hall, a military veteran, previously served on the staff of U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly of Tupelo.

A second Black Republican candidate, Biloxi City Councilman Felix Gines, garnered enough support in Tuesday’s primary to force a runoff in the House District 115 race. Gines and Zachary Grady will square off on Aug. 29 for the seat currently held by retiring Rep. Randall Patterson.

Late in 2022, the Mississippi Republican Party announced an effort to boost its Black slate of candidates and membership.

Few House or Senate incumbents lost primaries

State Sen. Philip Moran, R-Kiln, was the only Senate incumbent to lose Tuesday. Philmon Ladner garnered 6,501 votes, or 54%, to defeat the three-term incumbent Moran in the Republican primary. Ladner is unopposed in the November general election.

Four years ago, the 2019 Republican primary included several shocking outcomes. Notably, two key members of the House leadership, Ways and Means Chair Jeff Smith of Columbus and Pro-Tem Greg Snowden of Meridian, were defeated in 2019.

There were no such surprises this year, as no key member of the House or Senate leadership was defeated Tuesday.

Four House incumbents, however, did lose their primaries.

Rep. Brady Williamson of Oxford lost his District 10 Republican primary to Josh Hawkins.
Rep. Perry Van Bailey of Calhoun County was defeated in the District 23 Republican Primary by Andrew Stepp.
Legislative veteran Rep. Rufus Straughter of Belzoni was upended in the District 51 Democratic primary by Timaka James-Jones. Straughter is completing his seventh House term.
Rep. Doug McLeod of Lucedale who was toppled in the District 107 Republican primary by Ronald Lott by eight points. McLeod, who was unopposed in 2019, was arrested that year on charges related to spousal abuse after the deadline for candidates to qualify to run for the post. McLeod later was found not guilty when his wife testified on his behalf.

At least two incumbents will likely advance to the Aug. 29 runoff after no candidates in their elections garnered a majority of the vote.

In one probable runoff, Rep. Nick Bain of Corinth earned just 48.1% of the vote in Tuesday’s primary and will face Brad Mattox, who captured 35.1%. A small number of votes still needed to be counted by Wednesday afternoon.

In the other runoff, incumbent Rep. Dale Goodin of Richton placed second in Tuesday’s District 105 Republican primary with 29.8% of the vote. He will face Elliott Burch, who earned 46.2% of the vote.

Incumbent Tracy Rosebud of Tutwiler appears to have avoided a runoff in the District 30 Democratic primary. With a small number of votes remaining to be counted, Rosebud had 50.8% as of Wednesday afternoon.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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Mississippi Today

UMMC holds free cancer screenings

Published

16 hours ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @EricJShelton – 2025-04-30 12:00:00

by Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Resident physician Claire Babin, right, performs an oral cancer screening on Ella Holmes during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Physicians prepare for oral, head and neck cancer screenings during a free screening event at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, screens Diane Carter for oral cancer as medical students Mason Nodurft, left, and Eva Kiparizoska observe during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Educational giveaways advocating against smoking are available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Sharon Terry, senior tobacco treatment specialist, waits for patients during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Skylar Robinson, medical office assistant, left, and Kiandria Bruce, registered nurse, review materials at the patient sign-in table during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Head and neck cancer literature is available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Dr. Alex Brooks and registered nurse Angela Noble talk during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Nina Brown, clinical manager, helps Ned Bostic with paperwork during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin performs an oral cancer screening on Ned Bostic at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Ned Bostic receives a neck cancer screening during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, and medical student Hanna Watson examine Ned Bostic during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery hosted a free oral, head, and neck cancer screening Wednesday at the Jackson Medical Mall as part of Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week.

The event featured quick, noninvasive screenings aimed at catching cancer early — when treatment is most effective. Onyx Care provided free HPV vaccinations, while the ACT Center for Tobacco Treatment, Education, and Research offered resources on smoking cessation and free services.

“These screenings take about 10 minutes and can save lives,” said Dr. Gina Jefferson, head and neck surgical oncologist at UMMC. “The earlier a cancer is diagnosed, the better chance we have of curing it.”

Tobacco and alcohol use remain major risk factors for these cancers. However, physicians say an increasing number of cases are linked to HPV, especially among younger adults with no history of smoking or drinking. Dentists are often the first to spot early signs, which can include persistent sores, lumps in the neck, or difficulty swallowing.

Oral, head and neck cancers are among the most common globally. When found early, survival rates can exceed 80 percent.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post UMMC holds free cancer screenings appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article presents factual information about a free cancer screening event without showing a clear ideological stance. It primarily focuses on the health benefits of early cancer detection and the availability of free resources, such as HPV vaccinations and smoking cessation support. The language used is neutral and the content is centered around public health education rather than promoting a political viewpoint. The inclusion of factual statistics, such as survival rates and risk factors, adds to its informative and objective tone. There are no signs of bias or advocacy for a particular political agenda, making this a centrist piece.

Crooked Letter Sports Podcast

Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball?

Published

17 hours ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @rick_cleveland – 2025-04-30 10:46:00

by Rick Cleveland and Tyler Cleveland, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi State didn’t even wait until the end of the season to fire Chris Lemonis, who brought the national championship to Starkville not quite four years ago. Where do the Bulldogs go from here. Robbie Faulk who covers the Bulldogs more closely than anyone else joins the podcast to discuss the situation.

Stream all episodes here.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball? appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Mississippi Today

Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you

Published

18 hours ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @MSTODAYnews – 2025-04-30 10:21:00

by Mississippi Today, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi Today is looking to speak with current and former mobile sports betting users. We’d like to speak with people who spend considerable amounts of time and money betting on sports through online gambling sites.

We’re interested in hearing the experience of people who have suffered from gambling addiction or problems, or friends and family members of people who have. We also would like to talk with people who believe legalizing mobile sports betting would benefit Mississippi and its residents.

We want to hear from you. Please take the survey below or contact Political Reporter Michael Goldberg by email at mgoldberg@mississippitoday.org

TAKE THE SURVEY:

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This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article from Mississippi Today appears to present a neutral stance, focusing on gathering input from various groups of mobile sports betting users, including those who may have experienced addiction issues. The content does not advocate for or against the legalization of mobile sports betting but instead seeks to gather diverse perspectives, including those of individuals who may support or oppose it. The language used is objective and does not suggest a particular ideological perspective, allowing for a balanced exploration of the issue at hand.