Incumbent runoff losses could compound changes in House/Senate in the next legislature

Legislative Session 2020 could prove to be an interesting one as the House and Senate will both encounter many new faces entering the Capitol doors.

With several Senators and Representatives retiring or resigning from their positions, there were already many seats up for grabs this election cycle. After the Primary and the runoff election it seems as though several other incumbents will not be returning either.

Below is a list of House and Senate incumbents that did not run for reelection: 

Senate Runoff Changes 

In the Senate, Republican incumbent from District 1, Chris Massey was beaten by Michael McLendon. Massey was originally elected in 2011 to represent DeSoto County constituents. He served as the Chairman of the Ethics Committee and also served as a member of the Education, Finance, Highways and Transportation Committees, among others.

McLendon will not face an opponent in November.

House Runoff Changes

In addition to some pretty high profile Representatives like Speaker Pro Tem Greg Snowden and House Ways and Means Chair Jeff Smith not returning, runoff night claimed a few more incumbents.

In the House, Representative Kathy Sykes lost the Democratic nomination for her District 70 seat to William Brown in the August runoff. Sykes was originally elected in 2015, only serving one full term in the House.

Brown does not face the a Republican opponent in November.

Another Democratic incumbent, Deborah Butler Dixon was unseated by a newcomer to the race for District 63. Dixon lost to Stephanie Foster in a runoff election. Dixon was elected to the House in 2012 and severe on committees like Agriculture, Corrections, Gaming, and Judiciary B.

Foster does not have a Republican opponent on the ballot in November.

Another Republican incumbent ousted was in the runoff was in District 84, a seat held by William Shirley. Shirley was elected in 2012 and served on Enrolled Bills, Energy, Insurance, Judiciary B Committees. He was beaten in the Primary by Troy Smith.

The seat represents Clarke, Jasper and Newton Counties. Smith will not face a Democratic opponent in November.

Longtime Representative Gary Staples will not be back in 2020 after a runoff loss. Staples was originally elected to HD 88 from 1988 – 1992 and then came back again in 2004 until the present. He was caught in a runoff with Ramona Blackledge, who ultimately went on to win the seat by a nearly 15 point spread.

Staples was the chair of the Energy Committee and also served on Agriculture and Appropriations and several more.

Blackledge does not have an opponent for the seat in November.

Patricia Willis Representative of District 95 was unsuccessful in her reelection to the seat when she lost in a runoff to Jay McNight.

Willis was originally elected to the House during a special election in 2013 after the death of Representative Jessica Upshaw in March of that year. She was then reelected in 2016.

Willis was the chair of the Drug Policy Committee and also severed on others like Appropriations, Corrections, Gaming, and Judiciary B.

McNight will not face an opponent in November.

In Distirct 105, incumbent Rep. Roun McNeal was unseated in a runoff by Dale Goodin. McNeal was originally elected in 2016 and served on County Affairs, Corrections, Judiciary B and others.

Gooding beat McNeal by an over 10 point lead in the runoff at the end of August.

McNeal now faces Democrat Matthew Daves in the General Election in November.

In District 106 John Glen Corley will not be returning. Instead, Jansen Owen will take the seat that represents Lamar and Pearl River Counties.

Corley was elected only two years ago in 2017 during a special election in November of that year after the resignation of Herb Frierson who was appointed to Commissioner of Revenue.

Owen will not face an opponent in November.