Jenifer Branning and Jim Kitchens campaigning (Photo from the candidates' Facebook and website)
- State Sen. Jenifer Branning seeks to unseat incumbent Justice Jim Kitchens on Election Day while an open South Mississippi Court of Appeals race features Jennifer Schloegel and Amy St. Pe.
Two judicial races in Mississippi are pulling in big donations ahead of Election Day on November 5th.
Central Mississippi Supreme Court race the one to watch
The state Supreme Court District 1, Position 3 race in Central Mississippi features five candidates, with two names bubbling to the top of the fundraising leader board down the stretch.
State Senator Jenifer Branning, 45, has raised nearly $670,000 this calendar year in her bid to unseat incumbent Justice Jim Kitchens. Kitchens, 81, has served on the state Supreme Court since 2009.
Kitchens’ campaign reported contributions of just under $300,000 this calendar year, leaving him with roughly $99,000 cash on hand.
Branning, who has represented Senate District 18 since 2016 as a Republican, reported over $350,000 cash on hand a month out from Election Day in her campaign’s October filing.
While judicial races are non-partisan, Branning has benefitted from her political party affiliation with legislative leaders endorsing her candidacy as well as receiving the backing of the Mississippi Republican Party.
While the Mississippi Democratic Party has not endorsed any judicial candidates this cycle, Kitchens has previously received notable endorsements and financial backing in prior elections from prominent Democrats such as former Governor Ronnie Musgrove, former Attorney General Mike Moore, and former Secretary of State Dick Molpus.
Supreme Court District 1, Position 3 encompasses the counties of Bolivar, Claiborne, Copiah, Hinds, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Jefferson, Kemper, Lauderdale, Leake, Madison, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Rankin, Scott, Sharkey, Sunflower, Warren, Washington, and Yazoo.
Presidential election turnout could factor into this race, as Kitchens will likely benefit from a heavy Democrat voter turnout in the Central Mississippi region. Democratic presidential nominees have traditionally outperformed Republicans in this area despite the Republican nominees winning the state.
In the graphic below from the New York Times, the Mississippi counties in blue went to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election while the counties in red went to Republican Donald Trump.
South Mississippi Court of Appeals and Supreme Court races
Another judicial race receiving significant contributions this cycle is in South Mississippi for the open Court of Appeals District 5, Position 2 seat. The three candidates in that race have raised nearly half of million dollars combined this calendar year.
The likely top two candidates – Jennifer Schloegel and Amy St. Pe – have accounted for most of the fundraising for the seat, with St. Pe’s campaign bringing in $197,000 to Schloegel’s $174,000 this year.
Schloegel is in her fourth term as a Chancery Court Judge for Harrison, Hancock, and Stone Counties while St. Pe has served as a city attorney and municipal judge in Jackson County.
The Court of Appeals District 5 area is a solidly Republican voting area, and both Schloegel and St. Pe bring strong ties to the state GOP to the non-partisan race.
All other judicial elections are unopposed this cycle, save one – the Supreme Court District 2, Position 2 seat in South Mississippi. Incumbent Justice Dawn Beam is seeking re-election.
She was appointed to the seat by former Governor Phil Bryant in 2016. Challenging Beam is David Sullivan, a municipal judge in Harrison County who also serves as a Public Defender in the Circuit Courts of Harrison, Stone, and Pearl River Counties.
A look at the most recent campaign finance reports
Supreme Court District 1, Position 3 (Central)
- Jenifer Branning
- Contributions: $667,000
- Disbursements: $312,000
- Cash on Hand: $354,000
- Byron Carter
- Contributions: $6,600
- Disbursements: $14,000
- Cash on Hand: ($7,000)
- Ceola James
- Contributions: $0
- Disbursements: $1,600
- Cash on Hand: $0
- Jim Kitchens (incumbent)
- Contributions: $289,000
- Disbursements: $190,000
- Cash on Hand: $99,000
- Abby Gale Robinson
- Contributions: $0
- Disbursements: $0
- Cash on Hand: $0
Supreme Court District 2, Position 2 (Southern)
- Dawn Beam (incumbent)
- Contributions: $18,000
- Disbursements: $1,900
- Cash on Hand: $16,000
- David Sullivan
- Contributions: $76,000
- Disbursements: $3,900
- Cash on Hand: $72,000
Supreme Court District 3, Position 1 (Northern)
- Bobby Chamberlin (incumbent) – Termination report filed in April
- Contributions: $0
- Disbursements: $18,000
- Cash on Hand: $0
Supreme Court District 3, Position 2 (Northern)
- Jimmy Maxwell (incumbent)
- Contributions: $0
- Disbursements: $6,800
- Cash on Hand: $53,000
Court of Appeals District 2, Position 2
- Latrice Westbrooks (incumbent) – July filing
- Contributions: $0
- Disbursements: $0
- Cash on Hand: $0
Court of Appeals District 3, Position 1
- Jack Wilson (incumbent) – Termination report filed for May
- Contributions: $0
- Disbursements: $0
- Cash on Hand: $23
Court of Appeals District 5, Position 2
- Ian Baker
- Contributions: $91,000
- Disbursements: $16,000
- Cash on Hand: $75,000
- Jennifer Schloegel
- Contributions: $174,000
- Disbursements: $47,000
- Cash on Hand: $129,000
- Amy St. Pe
- Contributions: $197,000
- Disbursements: $161,000
- Cash on Hand: $36,000
Frank Corder
