State Sen. Jenifer Branning has defeated incumbent Justice Jim Kitchens in the runoff election for a Central District seat on the Mississippi Supreme Court.
The Associated Press called the race for Branning Friday afternoon as counties finished submitting official results to the Secretary of State’s office. As of the time of publishing, 99% of the vote had been reported. Branning received 50.6% of the vote and Kitchens received 49.4%.
Branning received a plurality of votes cast in the Nov. 5 general election, but not enough to avoid a Nov. 26 runoff election against the runner-up and incumbent, Kitchens.
Kitchens, who is widely viewed as one of two moderate jurists on the high court, touted his decades of courtroom experience as a lawyer, district attorney and Mississippi Supreme Court Justice as he sought a third term. On the campaign trail, Branning emphasized her conservative values, voting record in the state senate and judicial philosophy.
Branning and Kitchens collectively raised and spent over $1.3 million on their campaigns, making it one of the most expensive judicial races in state history. Branning notably supercharged her fundraising efforts by donating $250,000 to her own campaign.
While the judicial election process in Mississippi is nonpartisan, party politics is a major force in these races. Branning received a slew of endorsements from Republican elected officials in Mississippi and the state Republican Party. Kitchens was endorsed by prominent Mississippi Democrats and the SPLC Action Fund, an advocacy organization that describes itself as “a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond.”