At the state and local level, 2008 was a quiet election year. The only significant contests were four races for the Mississippi Supreme Court. Three court incumbents were defeated, including Chief Justice Jim Smith in the Central District. Smith was defeated by trial lawyer Jim Kitchens of Crystal Springs. The margin of Smith’s defeat was much larger than anticipated although most political observers said Smith ran a poor campaign and Kitchen’s media was superior.

In the Southern District, Chancery Judge Randy “Bubba” Pierce of Leakesville defeated incumbent Justice Oliver Diaz of Biloxi. Pierce, a former state legislator, served as chairman of the House Education Committee. He was appointed Chancery Court Judge for Jackson, George and Greene Counties in February 2005 by Gov. Haley Barbour and had no opposition in 2006 for election in his own right. The margin of Pierce’s win surprised most political observers.

In the SC Northern District incumbent Justice Ann Lamar (also appointed by Barbour) defeated Gene Barton. Also, in the Northern District, David Chandler defeated incumbent Justice Chuck Easley.

While The Jackson Clarion-Ledger attributed Kitchen’s upset to Mississippians thinking that the high court leaned too pro-business, that did not jive with the other SC races. Lamar, Pierce and Chandler were also considered pro-business while Easley, Diaz and Barton drew most of their support from plaintiff lawyers. Thus, the high court election resulted in a net gain of one for justices who were supported by the business community and favor tort reform.

The federal elections in Mississippi went about as expected. McCain easily won the state’s electoral votes despite the largest African American turnout in state history. Mississippi has not voted for a Democrat presidential candidate since 1976 when fellow southerner Jimmy Carter defeated President Gerald Ford. Four years later Carter lost Mississippi to Ronald Reagan.

Republican Sen. Thad Cochran easily won re-election for a sixth term over former legislator Erik Fleming. Cochran is the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Cochran is viewed as Mississippi’s most esteemed political figure since the late Sen. John C. Stennis.

In a race that was not as close as many expected, Republican Sen. Roger Wicker defeated former Democrat governor Ronnie Musgrove. In January Gov. Barbour appointed Wicker, a former member of the U.S. House, to the seat vacated suddenly by Trent Lott who resigned late last December. After being elected governor in 1999, Musgrove was defeated for re-election by Barbour five years ago. Most predictions and polling had Wicker favored by two to six percentage points, but he won by almost 10 points. Wicker will now serve the remaining four years of Lott’s term and will be up for re-election in 2012.

All Mississippi Democrat congressional incumbents easily won re-election. Fourth District U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor gathered almost 75 percent of the vote against his token GOP opponent. Taylor, a House Armed Services Sub-Committee chairman, bucks the trend in the 4th CD. In presidential and most statewide elections, Republicans carry the district almost two or three to one.

Democrat Bennie Thompson easily won re-election in the Second Congressional District. Thompson is a leader in the Congressional Black Caucus and chairman of the important Homeland Security Committee.

In the First Congressional District, incumbent Democrat Travis Childers again easily defeated Southaven Republican Mayor Greg Davis. When Barbour appointed Wicker to the Senate in January, Childers later beat Davis in the special election but both qualified at the same time for the general election. Childers won a full term on November 4.

The only open race congressional sheet was in the Third District. It was the seat of retiring Republican Chip Pickering. GOP nominee Gregg Harper easily defeated Democrat Joel Gill almost 3-1. Harper was somewhat of a surprise winner last spring in the wide-open Republican primary.

The 2009 session of the Mississippi Legislature convenes in January. Once again Gov. Barbour and the Mississippi Senate are expected to be at odds with House Speaker Billy McCoy and the Mississippi House. Like most states during the current financial crisis, Mississippi will be facing budget shortfalls and across-the-board cuts.

For more information please contact Wayne Weidie at (601) 353-3234 or email at wayne.weidie@arlaw.com.