In a pivotal victory for Mississippi Republicans, GOP State Senator Jenifer Branning has unseated longtime Democrat Supreme Court Justice Jim Kitchens in their tightly contested race. The Magnolia Tribune first projected Branning’s win on Wednesday morning after late absentee ballots and unreported county results tipped the scales decisively in her favor.
When counting stopped Tuesday night, the race remained too close to call. Early results showed Branning leading Kitchens by a razor-thin margin of just 518 votes, with significant absentee ballots and one unreported county still outstanding. By morning, the numbers had shifted dramatically.
Rankin County, the second-largest in the contested district, played a pivotal role in the outcome. With 3,009 absentee ballots counted, Branning secured 2,445, gaining a net 1,881 votes over Kitchens. Additional absentee ballots from Lauderdale and Neshoba counties contributed more than 600 votes to Branning’s total, extending her lead well beyond the recount threshold, as reported by Magnolia Tribune.
Branning’s victory marks a significant shift for Republicans in Mississippi’s judiciary. Kitchens, a Democrat-leaning justice known for his progressive rulings, had been serving on the court since his 2008 win.
“The number of outstanding ballots is larger than Branning’s lead, so at this point, we are waiting for those absentee and affidavit ballots to come in,” said Elizabeth Jonson, Communications Director for the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office, early Wednesday. “We don’t know if we’ll have an answer this week.”
“The race is still too early to call, and we may not have our answer until next week,” the Kitchens campaign posted on Facebook. “There are thousands of votes left to count, but we remain hopeful and prayerful.”
According to Magnolia Tribune, the latest count from Hinds County’s 1,723 absentee ballots, reported mid-morning Wednesday, added 476 votes to Kitchens’ total. After tallying both Hinds County’s absentee ballots and Holmes County’s in-person votes, Branning’s lead narrowed to 1,216 votes. The remaining uncounted absentee ballots from places like Yazoo (127) and Holmes (173) are not enough to close the gap.
Branning performed better with absentee ballots than in-person votes. In Hinds County, for example, she captured roughly 24% of the in-person votes but increased her share to 36% in absentee ballots. A similar trend was observed in Rankin County, where she earned about 70% of the in-person votes and over 80% of the absentee votes, according to The Tribune.
Since 2016, Branning, a Republican, has represented State Senate District 18, gaining support from figures such as Governor Tate Reeves and Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann. Her opponent, Kitchens, a State Supreme Court Justice since 2008 and former District Attorney, has been backed by prominent Democrats, including Congressman Bennie Thompson.
In the November 5th General Election, Branning led a five-candidate field with 42%, while Kitchens followed with 36%, which led to a runoff. Ahead of the runoff, both candidates raised nearly $1 million, with Branning receiving the majority.
Kitchens received significant support from the New Southern Majority IE PAC, an affiliate of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which contributed nearly $300,000 to his campaign. This PAC, which seeks to diversify Southern political leadership, also invested in the 2023 gubernatorial race, supporting Democratic candidates and opposing Governor Tate Reeves.
