Abortion
Governor Calls Abortion ‘Black Genocide,’ Defends Hyde-Smith on ‘Hanging’ Tape
As state and national controversy swirls around U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith’s comment about a public hanging” in her race against an African American opponent, Gov. Phil Bryant opened a press …
Politics
McDaniel v. Hood? State Senator to 'Pray About' Run for Governor
Just days after his hopes of becoming a U.S. senator were dashed for the second time in four years, Mississippi State Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, signaled interest in a possible …
Politics
Hyde-Smith’s ‘Public Hanging’ Quip Bombs in State with Most Lynchings
Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith lit up social media Sunday morning after a video clip in which she jokingly says she would be “on the front row” at “a public …
Civil Rights
Vacationing While Latino: Family Sues for 'Pervasive' Profiling in Mississippi
A lawsuit on behalf of a Latino and Native American family from South Carolina alleges that Hancock County Sheriff's deputies detained and searched them while traveling through Mississippi because they …
Politics
Hyde-Smith Accepts Debate Invite With McDaniel Out; Espy Considering
Incumbent U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., has accepted an invitation Mississippi Farm Bureau to debate her runoff opponent, Democrat Mike Espy, on Nov. 27.
Politics
Espy, Hyde-Smith Head to Nov. 27 Runoff with McDaniel Out
In a historic contest, Democrat Mike Espy will face incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in a runoff on Nov. 27 after the two candidates snagged the top two positions …
Politics
Gov. Bryant Fights for His Legacy with Support for Hyde-Smith
In the final day before the election, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant urged Republicans to support Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, pushing back against the idea that he was part of the "establishment."
Civil Rights
Evers-Williams Endorses Espy: Don't Let 'Our Souls Be Dragged Back'
Civil rights leader Myrlie Evers-Williams endorsed Democrat Mike Espy's bid for U.S. Senate in a radio ad his campaign released Monday, calling on Mississippians to help stave off a return …
Health Care
Hyde-Smith, Wicker Voted to Expand Pre-existing Illness Discrimination
In a press huddle on Nov. 1, U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith said she had not cast "a single vote" to allow health-insurance companies to sell plans that discriminate against people …
Politics
GOP Mailers Misleadingly Paint Espy as a Criminal
A series of campaign mailers the Mississippi Republican Party sent out around the state this week misleadingly paint Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mike Espy as a "corrupt" criminal for charges …
Health Care
Thompson Calls on Bryant to Drop Lawsuit to Gut Pre-existing Condition Coverage
Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson called on Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant to withdraw from a lawsuit that could overturn protections for those with pre-existing conditions.
Cover
Mississippi Elections: What You Need to Know
On. Nov. 6, the same day as the national midterms, voters choose between Democrat Mike Espy, Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith and Republican Chris McDaniel in a U.S. Senate special election; there …
Cover
The JFP Interview with David Baria: 'I Am Who I Am'
David Baria, the man who currently serves as the House minority leader in the Mississippi Legislature, shared his story, his plans for Mississippi, and why he thinks he can move …
Politics
Mabus Endorses Baria to 'Bring Civility and Honor Back to Politics'
Calling next week's election "one of the most important elections of my life," former Mississippi Gov. Ray Mabus endorsed fellow Democrat David Baria's bid for U.S. Senate.
Immigration
Palazzo Inflames 'Caravan' Fears Despite Weekend Synagogue Tragedy
Congressman Steven Palazzo, R-Miss., sought to rile up supporters over a "migrant caravan" en route to the U.S. in an email sent just a day after a 47-year-old white supremacist— …
National
GOP Mega-Donor Implicated in Russia Probe Gives McDaniel $500,000 Boost
Mississippi State Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, received a $500,000 donation for his campaign for U.S. Senate thanks to GOP mega-donor Robert Mercer, the investor behind a firm that harvested the …
National
Mississippi Leaders Condemn Bomb Attempts
Gov. Phil Bryant and other Mississippi leaders from both sides of the aisle offered condemnation after an unknown person mailed bombs to national Democratic leaders on Wednesday.
Politics
Espy Defends McDaniel Supporters Against Wrongly Attributed 'Horrific' Remark
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mike Espy on Monday drew a comparison between U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for comments her spokesperson made about a …
City & County
LGBT Equality Report: Jackson and Hattiesburg Lead Mississippi
Jackson and Hattiesburg lead among Mississippi's nine largest cities in LGBT equality, the Human Rights Campaign says in a new report.
Politics
UPDATED: GOP Tracker Impersonates JFP Reporter at Espy Event, Campaign Says; PAC Denies
A tracker apparently working for the right-wing America Rising PAC impersonated a Jackson Free Press reporter at a campaign event Friday, campaign staff for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mike Espy …
Politics
GOP Opponent Scared to Debate, Dem House Rival Charges
As a debate over the absence of debates roils Mississippi's U.S. Senate races, a candidate for the U.S. House wants to know why his Republican opponent will not debate him.
Politics
Baria Donations Top All Dem Nominees in Mississippi Since 2008
David Baria raised more money than any Mississippi Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate since 2008, fundraising numbers released on Tuesday reveal.
Politics
Medgar Evers' Niece Confronts McDaniel on 'Begging for Scraps' Comment
Wanda Evers, the niece of slain Mississippi civil-rights leader Medgar Evers, confronted Republican U.S. Senate candidate Chris McDaniel at an Oct. 13 campaign event in Clinton, Miss., about comments he …
Cover
Of Race and Republicans: The JFP Interview With Chris McDaniel
Chris McDaniel discussed not only his ideas on race and flags, but also on other timely matters like sexual assault, tariffs and criminal-justice reform in an interview with the Jackson …
Health Care
Mississippians Fight for Medical Marijuana in 2020
Ashley Durval first filed the Medical Marijuana 2020 ballot initiative in July. She hopes medical marijuana can be used to treat her daughter, Harper Grace, who has Dravet Syndrome, a …
Politics
Video Captures Hyde-Smith Equating Debate to a $200,000 Donation to McDaniel
In a secretly videoed conversation, U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., said her reluctance to join her opponents for a debate is due to her fear that it would give one …
Politics
Hyde-Smith: 'We Won't Be Bullied' by McDaniel's Debate Demands
Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith's campaign pushed back against opponent Chris McDaniel's renewed calls for a debate on Friday, accusing the Mississippi state senator and his supporters of "uncivil" and …
Politics
Baria: 'I'm Running Against Roger Wicker, Not Donald Trump'
In what his campaign calls an "aggressive statewide ad campaign," Mississippi House Minority Leader David Baria, D-Bay St. Louis, announced a five-figure television ad buy for his U.S. Senate campaign …
National
Hyde-Smith Calls Kavanaugh Opposition 'Evil'
U.S. Sen. Cindy-Hyde Smith, R-Miss., continued to defend her support for the confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh on Tuesday, accusing Democrats of "manipulation of the confirmation process" …
National
Hyde-Smith Accuses Dems of 'Disservice to Victims of Sexual Violence'
Accusing Democrats of a "disservice to victims of sexual violence," U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., voted to advance the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court Friday …
Politics
Hood Announces Run: 'Jesus Taught Us to Fight for the Poor'
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood announced his run for governor on Oct. 3 in Houston, Miss.
Politics
Mississippi Election Information
On. Nov. 6, the same day as the national midterms, voters choose between Democrat Mike Espy, Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith and Republican Chris McDaniel in a U.S. Senate special election; there …
Politics
Jeramey Anderson: ‘I’m a Democrat’
Moss Point native Jeramey Anderson is a black millennial and progressive Democrat who, in 2013, became the youngest African American elected to any state legislature in U.S. history.
Politics
Amid Positive Polls, Jim Hood to Announce Run for Mississippi Governor
Mississippi State Attorney General Jim Hood will kick off a campaign for governor on Wednesday, Oct. 3, he announced in a statement on Monday, Oct. 1.
Civil Rights
John Lewis: Vote for Espy or Risk Being 'Dragged Into the Past'
Rep. John Lewis, a famous civil-rights activist and a Georgia congressman, urged Mississippi voters to support Democrat Mike Espy's U.S. Senate campaign in a Sept. 25 email.
National
Mike Espy: Hyde-Smith is ‘Irresponsible’ and ‘Wrong’ on Kavanaugh
U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith drew fire from her Democratic rival, former U.S. Sec. of Agriculture Mike Espy, for her position on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who faces allegations of …
National
Mike Espy Pulls out of U.S. Senate Debate in Jackson, Citing ‘Hypocrisy’
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mike Espy has pulled out of an Oct. 4 debate in Jackson because the incumbent, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, will not attend.
Courts
‘Believe Survivors,’ Baria Tells Wicker and Hyde-Smith on Kavanaugh Vote
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate David Baria, who serves as the House minority leader in the Mississippi Legislature, called for halt in the process to confirm U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett …
Domestic Violence
Hyde-Smith: Defending Kavanaugh Is ‘My Duty’ as a Woman in Congress
While addressing the Senate floor for the first time, Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith defended Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, after a third woman accused the judge of …
National
‘Killing Unborn Children’ Point of Kavanaugh Accusations, McDaniel Claims
The women accusing U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault are part of a “charade” to keep abortion legal, U.S. Senate candidate Chris McDaniel of Mississippi claimed in …
National
Trump to Campaign with Hyde-Smith in North Mississippi
The Cindy Hyde-Smith for U.S. Senate campaign announced on Tuesday that President Donald Trump will join her for a rally in north Mississippi on Oct. 2.
Politics
Espy Says Ford Allegations ‘Credible’ as Gov. Patrick Endorses Him
Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick announced his support for Democrat Mike Espy’s candidacy in Mississippi’s U.S. Senate special election at a Hattiesburg press conference on Saturday.
Politics
Deval Patrick to Join Mike Espy in Hattiesburg Saturday
Former Democratic Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick will campaign with Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mike Espy on Friday, Sept. 21, in downtown Hattiesburg.
Politics
Ron Paul Endorses Chris McDaniel for Cochran's U.S. Senate Seat
Former Texas Congressman Ron Paul urged voters to elect "courageous leaders" like Mississippi State Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, "to stand up to the establishment in Washington" in an endorsement McDaniel's …
Politics
Hyde-Smith: McDaniel's 'Toxic Image' Similar to Roy Moore's
Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith is criticizing her opponent, State Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, for recent comments she says "demeaned" black Mississippians and a history of "derogatory" comments about women.
Cover
‘It Only Matters What You Answer To’: The JFP Interview with Mike Espy
Mike Espy has neither sought nor served in public office since 1994; this year's U.S. Senate special election marks Espy's re-entry into politics as he runs in the special election …
National
Mississippi Judge a Thorn in Kavanaugh’s Past
By late January 2003, White House attorney Brett Kavanaugh's frustration grew as he and other White House lawyers struggled to correct course on the narrative surrounding the 5th U.S. Circuit …
Politics
U.S. Senate Race: Baria Announces 12 Town Hall Candidate Forums
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate David Baria, who is challenging incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker for his seat, announced 12 town-hall-style candidate forums "where voters will have the opportunity to …
National
Kavanaugh 'Lied Under Oath' About Pickering, Former U.S. Senator Says
As U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh struggles amid allegations of sexual misconduct, newly released emails bolster claims that he misled U.S. senators in 2006 while testifying under oath about …
Politics
Hyde-Smith Declines Invite to Mississippi's First U.S. Senate Debate in 10 Years
Exactly 10 years and one day after the last time Mississippi voters had a chance to watch their top-tier U.S. Senate candidates debate, Millsaps College and Mississippi Public Broadcasting will …
