The three-way race for Mississippi attorney general is headed to a run-off. As MPB’s Desare Frazier reports none of the candidates garnered enough votes to be declared the winner.
Mississippi’s State Treasurer Lynn Fitch pulled out ahead of her opponents to take the lead in the Republican primary race for attorney general. But she fell short of the 50 percent plus one needed to win. Just after midnight, with 95 percent of the polls reporting, Fitch led with 45 percent of the vote. The race will go to a runoff.
“You can expect hard work just like we’ve done every day. We’re going to be out working, talking to people, talking about the importance of the office of attorney general and I can be the leader and start from day one, so that will be very important to continue to relay that message,” said Fitch.
Fitch says as the state's chief law enforcement officer she'll support first responders, protect the elderly and children, and guard second amendment rights. Fitch’s run-off opponent will be Attorney Andy Taggart. The Associated Press made the call around 1 a.m. Taggart, a distant second behind Fitch, garnered 28 percent just one point more than State Representative Mark Baker’s 27 percent. Taggart says he’s spent 34 years practicing law and wants to place more emphasis on fighting drug crime.
“I believe we ought to reconfigure the resources of office of attorney general, to push crime-fighting resources down to the streets where are police departments and our sheriff’s departments are about the business every day of trying to protect our kids who the drug predators are trying to poison,” said Taggart.
The primary run-off is August 27.
