With his election to Congress from Mississippi’s First Congressional District on Tuesday, Trent Kelly will withdraw from his reelection campaign for district attorney.
Mississippi has 22 district attorneys and all of them, except now Kelly, are seeking reelection; five of them have opponents plus the now open seat for Kelly’s district. In Kelly’s district – District 1: Alcorn, Tishomingo, Prentiss, Lee, Itawamba, Pontotoc and Monroe counties – the candidates are two current assistant district attorneys and one former assistant district attorney. The current ADAs are Republican John Weddle and Democrat Paul Gault, and both qualified to run pledging not to challenge Kelly if he lost his congressional bid. Democrat Arch Bullard, also in the race and ADA under Kelly’s predecessor, qualified with plans to run regardless of whether or not Kelly ended up in the race.
There are two other contested partisan races for DA.
Republican Tyler McCaughn is challenging incumbent Democrat Mark Duncan in District 8: Leake, Neshoba, Newton and Scott counties. Duncan, of Philadelphia, served as an ADA for sixteen years before his election to DA in 2003. He is now seeking his fourth term. McCaughn, of Newton, has served as municipal judge for Decatur and represented Hickory as the town’s attorney.
Madison County Journal
6/3/15
Magnolia Tribune
