- Voters in House Districts 23 and 82 will go to the polls in two weeks to elect a new state representative. See who is on the ballot.
Two special elections to fill unexpired terms in the Mississippi House of Representatives will be held on March 25.
Voters in House Districts 23 (Calhoun, Lafayette, Pontotoc and Webster counties) and 82 (Lauderdale County) will choose their new state representative after the untimely deaths of incumbents Andy Stepp (R) and Charles Young, Jr. (D), respectively, in December.
Stepp, 66, was serving his first term in the House while Young, 62, had served in the chamber since 2012.
Special elections are non-partisan in Mississippi, meaning candidates will not run under a party label.
Five candidates qualified to run in the House District 23 special election while three are seeking the House District 82 seat.
Those running in House District 23 are:
- Perry Van Bailey
- Colby Bollinger
- Andy Clark
- Danny Lampley
- Travis E. Wright
The candidates on the ballot in House District 82 are:
- Joseph A. Denson
- Gregory Elliott
- Joseph Joe Norwood
Runoff elections will be held after the special election if no candidate receives 50 percent plus one vote to claim the seats outright on election day.
Here’s a look at the candidates on the special election ballots.
House District 23 candidates
Perry Van Bailey
Van Bailey is a Republican who held the HD 23 seat for just over a year following the resignation of former State Rep. Jim Beckett in 2022. He lost his re-election bid to Stepp in 2023. Van Bailey is a farmer and businessman.
Learn more about Van Bailey here.
Colby Bollinger
Bollinger is a small business owner that calls himself a “no non-sense conservative.” He has been actively campaigning throughout the district and speaking at Republican organizations.
Learn more about Bollinger here.
Andy Clark
Clark, a Republican, owns Clark Farms of Vardaman LLC. He is active in his local community.
Learn more about Clark here.
Danny Lampley
Lampley, an attorney, is working with Calhoun County Democrats in his campaign. He backed Brandon Presley’s unsuccessful bid for Governor in 2023.
Learn more about Lampley here.
Travis Wright
Wright has worked for Sysco for 28 years. He is a Republican who says he is looking to be a “100% full-time” lawmaker. Like others, Wright has been campaigning across the district and speaking at Republican organizations.
Learn more about Wright here.
House District 82 candidates
Joseph Denson
Denson is an attorney at Denson and Associates. The father of three is also an assistant pastor at a church in east Mississippi. Denson is a member of the NAACP.
Learn more about Denson here.
Gregory Elliott
Elliott says he is “a dedicated leader with deep roots in the community.” He is a graduate of Meridian High School, and says “he comes from a family with over a century of service and commitment to the people of Meridian.”
Learn more about Elliott here.
Joe Norwood
Norwood, a Democrat, served Lauderdale County as Supervisor for six terms. He also served the city of Meridian as recreation director.
Norwood does not appear to have an accessible social media presence.
