Ivana Williams (Photo from Williams' Facebook page)
- Ivana Williams was terminated from the Mississippi Highway Patrol, with DPS citing her sending sexually explicit photos of herself to other troopers and failing to report a sexual assault accusation. She has sued DPS and is publicly urging new Commissioner Bo Luckey to bring her litigation “to a fair resolution.”
Former Mississippi Highway Patrol Trooper Ivana Williams is running as a Democrat for Mississippi Governor, her campaign website declared this week before it was taken down.
She joins the Democrat field after an announcement from Priscilla Till that she, too, would be a candidate for governor next year.
Williams’ website now displays the message, “Coming Soon!” No reason has been given as to why the website was hidden but she has said in previous social media posts that she would be announcing her candidacy and the office she was seeking after the midterm election.
Williams has been teasing a run for public office for months, encouraging followers on Facebook to contribute to her future campaign without disclosing what office she was running for in 2027.
“Yes, I’m running for office, although I haven’t disclosed which one. In reality, all of them should be the same. They should all be to serve the people. To work hard and to fight for you and your family,” Williams posted in August.
No entity for Williams for Governor is currently showing as filed with the Mississippi Secretary of State on its online campaign finance database.
She said in another post, “Don’t judge me simply by a uniform I once wore or by a political party beside my name. Listen to what I have to say, look at what I stand for, and decide for yourself whether I can make a difference.”
Williams is currently the plaintiff in a lawsuit against the Mississippi Department of Public Safety and now former Commissioner Sean Tindell alleging gender-based discrimination, retaliation, and constitutional violations, among other complaints, following her firing in 2024.
Tindell, who is now running for Attorney General, has said publicly that Williams’ termination from DPS was justified. He cited the following reasons for her firing in an interview with WLBT in July 2025:
- Posting a picture of her holding a beer can in her patrol car with a caption alluding to her drinking in the vehicle.
- Sending sexually explicit photos of herself to other troopers.
- Having porn on her state-issued cell phone.
- Failing to report a sexual assault accusation.
Williams, who denies the allegations, also alleges that Tindell asked about her “hanging out” with one of his roommates, a claim Tindell denies.
Tindell was ultimately dismissed from the lawsuit.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Williams urged new DPS Commissioner Bo Luckey “to show that new leadership means a new direction.”
“Start by helping bring my litigation to a fair resolution,” she wrote. “Commissioner Luckey, our trial is set for June 2027. I am asking you to work toward ending this litigation fairly, rather than letting this painful chapter continue. I am no longer asking for reinstatement. I want the opportunity to resign. Let me resign.”
As for her policy positions and what she would bring to the table in her campaign for Governor of Mississippi, little is known now that her campaign website is offline. Her past social media posts provide voters with only a limited glimpse beyond her running as a Democrat and her personal complaints with DPS.
Earlier this week, Williams did share a graphic from a news outlet’s opinion section that featured the headline, “Jason White’s poll on vouchers ignores strong test results in Mississippi public schools.” That headline came after Speaker White released a poll last week that showed support for school choice in Mississippi. To that, Williams wrote of White, “Why is he so adamant about this?”
