Mississippi Today

States more Republican than Mississippi have elected Democratic governors

Published

2 years ago

June 11, 2023

This year the political eyes of the nation will be fixed on Mississippi, Kentucky and Louisiana, three reliably Republican states, as they elect their governors and other statewide officials.

The three Southern states share the distinction of being the nation’s only states to elect their governors in the off year between the federal mid-term elections and the presidential elections.

In 2019, Louisiana and Kentucky stunned the nation by electing Democratic governors. In Kentucky, Democratic Attorney General Andy Beshear defeated incumbent Republican Gov. Matthew Bevin, while in Louisiana Democratic incumbent Gov. John Bel Edwards won a second term. In Mississippi, of course, Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves defeated Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood by about 5%, or 45,000 votes.

This year, Beshear is considered a favorite to win a second term for the Democrats in Kentucky. Edwards cannot seek reelection because of term limits and the Republicans are favored to regain the governorship in Louisiana. In Mississippi, the Republican incumbent Reeves has to be considered the favorite against his November challenger, Democratic Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley.

Democrats can only hope that what happened in Kentucky in 2019 occurs in Mississippi in 2023. There are some similarities between Kentucky in 2019 and Mississippi in 2023 in terms of the governor’s election.

In Kentucky in 2019, a Democrat challenger with a well known last name upended an unpopular Republican incumbent. The Beshear name was known because Steven Beshear, the father of the incumbent governor who was elected in 2019, served two terms as governor from 2008 until 2016.

While Presley’s father, of course, never served as governor, he does possess a well known last name. Who is a better known Mississippian than Presley’s cousin, Elvis?

Reeves often is cited in polls as one of the least popular governors in the nation. Granted, his poll numbers have not been nearly as bad as the poll numbers Kentucky Republican incumbent Matthew Bevin had before the 2019 election.

Still, polls often spell out Reeves’ vulnerabilities, such as a Siena College/Mississippi Today poll in January highlighting 57% of voters would prefer someone other than Reeves as governor.

And the public, based on polling, strongly supports Presley’s position to eliminate the tax on groceries, fully fund the Mississippi Adequate Education formula that provides state support for public education, and to expand Medicaid. Reeves opposes those issues which are important to Mississippi voters, according to polling.

Despite the possible warning signs found in the polls, it is hard to ignore the fact that Reeves has run statewide five times and has never been defeated.

And a key difference between Mississippi in 2023 and Kentucky in 2019 is that Beshear had run for and won the statewide office of attorney general, so voters throughout Kentucky were familiar with him. Presley has never run for a statewide office, having been elected four times in the northern third of the state. A key question is: Will Presley have the funds against a well financed incumbent like Reeves to get his name and message before the voters?

In other words, despite what happened in Louisiana and Kentucky, Reeves still would be considered the heavy favorite in November. At some point, though, Mississippi will again elect a Democratic governor. Kentucky and Louisiana proved it could be done in deep Republican Southern states.

And on the surface, both Kentucky and Louisiana are more Republican than Mississippi. In both 2016 and 2020, Trump performed better in Kentucky and Louisiana than in Mississippi. In the 2020 presidential election, Mississippians voted for Republican Donald Trump over Democrat Joe Biden by a 17% margin. Trump won Kentucky by a 26% margin and captured Louisiana by a 19% margin.

Yet only a year earlier, both Kentucky and Louisiana shocked the political world and elected Democratic governors.

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

1 day 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

2 days 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

2 days 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.