by Taylor Vance, Mississippi Today
June 4, 2025

The Democratic Party flipped several seats and made significant gains during Tuesday’s municipal elections across Mississippi. 

The day-to-day functions of municipal government often don’t involve partisan policy decisions. But local elections can gauge voters’ moods before congressional midterms next year and the 2027 statewide election for governor. 

The election results as of Wednesday afternoon are not official because local election workers will still process mail-in absentee votes for five business days after the election and process affidavit ballots.

The unofficial and incomplete results of some Mississippi mayoral races on Tuesday:

Gulfport 

In one of the most hotly contested municipal elections this year, Republican Hugh Keating defeated Democrat Sonya Williams Barnes. 

Keating, an attorney, led Barnes, a former state representative, by roughly 1,110 votes in a race that saw relatively high turnout, according to the Sun Herald. The election drew several prominent national figures to the coastal town, such as U.S. Sen. Tim Scott and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. 

Toward the end of the campaign, the two campaigns accused the other of skirting election laws. Republicans alleged that a group close to the Barnes campaign was offering meal vouchers to people who voted by absentee ballot, but Barnes denied any affiliation with the organization. 

Democrats then cried foul when Rick Carter, a managing partner of Island View Casino, distributed a letter to his employees encouraging them to vote for Keating. 

For years, Democratic candidates have attempted to make inroads to break up the GOP’s hold on the Gulf Coast. Polling leading up to the election showed the two candidates were close 

Despite Barnes’ loss, Cheikh Taylor, chairman of the state Democratic Party, praised the former legislator for proving Democrats can be competitive in south Mississippi. 

Jackson 

Longtime state Sen. John Horhn easily won the election to lead Mississippi’s capital city by defeating the Republican nominee and several independent candidates. 

Horhn’s general election victory was widely expected after he defeated incumbent Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba in the Democratic primary in April. The primary has historically decided who will go on to win the general election. 

Vicksburg 

George Flaggs Jr., a former state legislator who’s served as Vicksburg’s mayor for more than a decade, appears to have been defeated by Democrat Willis Thompson.  

Flaggs, an independent, trailed his Democratic opponent by 61 votes, according to the Vicksburg Post. 

Vicksburg City Clerk Deborah Kaiser-Nickson told the Vicksburg Post that results will remain unofficial until 111 affidavits are counted, along with any mail-in votes. 

Brookhaven 

Incumbent Brookhaven Mayor Joe Cox, a Republican, appears to have lost a close race to Democratic challenger Larry Jointer in Tuesday’s election, with Jointer claiming victory by a margin of 37 votes, according to the Daily Leader. 

Jointer would be the city’s first Black mayor. 

Greenwood 

Incumbent Independent Mayor Carolyn McAdams lost to Democrat Kenderick Cox, who garnered around 53 percent of the vote, according to the Greenwood Commonwealth. 

Clarksdale 

State Rep. Orlando Paden won the mayor’s race and will replace outgoing two-term Mayor Chuck Espy, who did not run for re-election. Paden defeated two independent candidates.

Horn Lake 

Democrat Jimmy Stokes defeated his Republican opponent, Danny Klein. The current mayor, Allen Latimer, did not run for reelection.

According to the Commercial Appeal, just one seat on the city’s Board of Aldermen is currently held by a Democrat. 

Now the Democrats flipped the script. A Democrat will take office as the new mayor, and Republicans secured just two seats on the board of aldermen. 

Meridian 

Former Mayor Percy Bland, a Democrat, will return to City Hall in Meridian after losing his re-election bid four years ago.

Bland won back the mayor’s seat Tuesday over Independent candidate Jimmy Copeland by less than 100 votes, according to the Meridian Star. 

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

The post Democratic candidates make gains in Mississippi city elections, but GOP keeps Gulfport red 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 reports on recent municipal election results in Mississippi with a factual tone, focusing on both Democratic gains and Republican holds. It highlights election dynamics, candidate profiles, and accusations from both parties without endorsing either side. The language remains neutral, presenting quotes and election data without emotional or loaded wording. While it notes partisan competition and includes statements from party officials, it does not take a side or push a particular ideological viewpoint. Overall, the article maintains balanced, objective coverage of political events without displaying a clear bias.

by Kate Royals and Sophia Paffenroth, Mississippi Today
June 3, 2025

Former Mississippi Medicaid Director Drew Snyder is stepping down as head of the federal Medicaid agency. 

Snyder, an attorney, was tapped by the Trump administration in January to serve as the deputy administrator and director of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services.

Snyder is resigning due to personal family matters, a source familiar with the situation told Mississippi Today on Tuesday. 

Caprice Knapp, former North Dakota Medicaid director, will take over as interim acting director of the Centers for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS), the nation’s public health insurance program for children, pregnant women and people who have low incomes or disabilities. 

“Drew has played an invaluable role leading our Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services as we began strengthening the programs to better serve the nation’s most vulnerable,” CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said in a statement. “Caprice is an incredibly talented leader and will help lead the Center through this transition, ensuring we continue building upon Drew’s efforts.” 

Snyder declined to comment to Mississippi Today. Politico first reported the news of his departure. 

Snyder led the Mississippi Division of Medicaid for nearly seven years and was the agency’s longest-serving director. He served under two Republican governors who successfully opposed expanding the Medicaid program to include working low-income Mississippians. 

Snyder also briefly led The Healthcare Collaborative, which represents dozens of hospitals that splintered off from the Mississippi Hospital Association. The Collaborative is housed under Capitol Resources, a powerful multistate lobbying firm that has donated thousands of dollars to Republican officials’ campaigns. 

Snyder’s resignation comes as the Medicaid program faces monumental changes under what Trump calls a “big, beautiful bill” of tax breaks and spending cuts, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives and will begin making its way through the Senate this week. 

The bill directs states to impose work requirements for Medicaid, lowers the federal match for states that have expanded the program under the Affordable Care Act and requires agencies to conduct eligibility checks more often.

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

The post Former Medicaid head steps down from federal role 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: Center-Right

The article maintains largely factual and neutral reporting on Drew Snyder’s resignation from his federal Medicaid leadership role. It outlines Snyder’s background, including his service under Republican governors opposing Medicaid expansion, and notes his association with a lobbying group linked to Republican campaigns, which subtly frames his political alignment. The coverage includes references to the Trump administration and legislation that reflect conservative policy priorities, such as Medicaid work requirements and funding cuts. However, the tone remains measured, presenting information without overt editorializing or partisan language. Overall, the article reports on ideological positions without strongly advocating a viewpoint, but the contextual emphasis slightly leans toward a center-right perspective due to its focus on Republican-aligned figures and policies.

by Rick Cleveland, Mississippi Today
June 3, 2025

Ty Grisham, John’s son, grew up going with his famous dad to the old Dudy Noble Field, sitting in the Left Field Lounge, gorging himself, he says, on “barbecue, crawfish and college baseball.”

“I thought that was the way college baseball everywhere,” Ty Grisham says.

Years later, Ty Grisham played baseball for Brian O’Connor, the new Mississippi State baseball coach, during O’Connor’s first two seasons at Virginia. Ty Grisham, who graduated from law school at Ole Miss, still lives and works as a lawyer in Charlottesville. So, yes, he seemed the perfect guy to talk to about State’s new baseball coach.

“Brian’s a first-class individual, savvy, intelligent, extremely thoughtful,” Ty Grisham said in a phone conversation Tuesday morning. “I live in Charlottesville, love college baseball and pull for Virginia, so I really, really hate to see him leave. It’s a tough loss for us, but at the same time it’s a home run hire for State.”

In this case, the numbers — and O’Connor’s resume — do not lie. In 22 years with O’Connor at the helm, Virginia has made the NCAA Tournament 18 times, won nine NCAA Regionals, played in seven College World Series, and won a national championship (2015). O’Connor’s overall record: 917-388-2, a winning percentage of better than 70%. Little wonder, at age 54, he already has been inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame.

“He’s just an incredible baseball coach,” Ty Grisham says. “He’s top five in the country if he’s not No. 1.”

Ty Grisham, an outfielder, was inherited, not recruited, by O’Connor. Dennis Womack, O’Connor’s predecessor, recruited the younger Grisham to Virginia from St. Anne’s-Belfield School in Charlottesville, where Grisham was a standout baseball and football player. Womack had a losing record over 23 seasons at Virginia. Things changed quickly under O’Connor, who had been an assistant under Paul Mainieri at Notre Dame.

“Things changed quickly. There was instantly an expectation to win,” Ty Grisham says. “You could just feel things shifting in the locker room. Brian was a gifted motivator. He was very thoughtful, but he was all about making us tougher and more competitive. I well remember the early morning wind sprints.”

That was 2003. O’Connor was 32. Ty Grisham was 19. Florida State, Clemson, North Carolina and Georgia Tech were the teams to beat in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Virginia was a middle-of-the-pack ACC team. That changed abruptly. In 2004, O’Connor’s first season, the Cavs won 44, lost 15, finished 18-6 in the ACC and hosted an NCAA Regional. 

“He was definitely a players’ coach,” Ty Grisham says. “I would describe him as savvy, extremely intelligent, just very impressive all around. You don’t get a ton of coachspeak from him. He’s genuine and thoughtful in everything he says.”

I will echo that last part about “thoughtful.” O’Connor brought his 2009 Virginia team to Oxford for a memorable Super Regional. Ole Miss won game one 4-3 in 12 innings. Virginia won by the same score in a second game nail-biter and then clinched the series 5-1 the next day. I approached O’Connor after a press conference for one more question that turned into a 15-minute give-and-take. A week later after a College World Series press conference, he was every bit as engaging and interesting. Put it this way: I have not been surprised by his success in the decade and a half since.

Ty Grisham says he doesn’t know why O’Connor chose to leave Charlottesville for Starkville.

“I can’t speculate,” Grisham said. “He was here 22 years. He’s a legend. I would guess maybe he just wanted a new challenge. The facilities at UVA are good, but not the Mecca you have at Starkville. I don’t know… We haven’t talked since the change.”

So I asked Ty Grisham how he thinks O’Connor will fare in this new age of NIL and the transfer portal. After two consecutive CWS appearances in 2023 and 2024, Virginia faltered to 32-18 (16-11 in the ACC) this past season, missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.

“Brian was really, really good at finding transfer guys well before NIL and transfer portal opened up,” Grisham said. “He was gifted at evaluating talent, spotting lower level guys who came to UVA and contributed. I will be shocked if he doesn’t win big at State.”

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

The post Ty Grisham, the author's son, discusses Brian O'Connor's move to Mississippi State 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 offers a straightforward profile and personal perspective on Brian O’Connor’s coaching career and recent move to Mississippi State, focusing on his accomplishments and reputation. It presents factual information and direct quotes without promoting a political agenda or ideological viewpoint. The tone is respectful and admiring but stays within the realm of sports reporting and personal testimony rather than ideological framing. Therefore, the article maintains a neutral stance, centered on biographical and athletic evaluation rather than political or cultural bias.