Mississippi State Senator Dean Kirby, who has served in office for more than a decade, recently faced a challenge in the Republican primary. However, he emerged victorious with an impressive 70% of the vote.
Back in 2003, Kirby faced off against an opponent, but since then he hasn’t had to. This year, the veteran senator from the Jackson area is running unopposed by both Democratic and Republican candidates.
It’s not uncommon for candidates to go unopposed in Mississippi’s legislative races, with over 80% of them having no major-party opposition in the upcoming Nov. 7 election. In fact, over 50% of this year’s winners will have faced no other Republicans or Democrats in either the primary or general election. Kirby’s uncontested streak may be longer than most, but his situation is far from unique.
Mississippi’s Senate President Pro Tem, Kirby, believes that the current state of affairs is satisfactory, which is why there are no challengers.
The decline in competition for state legislative seats is a national issue, with Mississippi being an extreme example. Recent research shows that voter satisfaction with incumbents is not the sole reason for this trend. This raises concerns about the effectiveness of American voters in holding their elected representatives accountable.
According to Steven Rogers, a political scientist at Saint Louis University who specializes in state legislatures, in certain states, there are an abundance of uncontested seats, resulting in one party securing the chamber before an election even occurs.
According to Rogers, a crucial aspect of a democracy is the idea that the people have a say in their government. This means that individuals must have options to choose from when it comes to electing officials. Without candidates stepping up to run for office, there is no real choice for the people.
Data compiled for The Associated Press by Ballotpedia, a nonprofit organization that tracks elections, shows that the percentage of legislative seats in Mississippi with no major-party opposition in the general election has been increasing steadily over the years. In 2011, it was 63%, which has now increased to 85% in the current year. Similarly, the percentage of seats with no Republican or Democratic challengers in either the primary or the general election has grown from 45% to 57% during the same period.
According to the findings of Rogers’ research, legislative competition in the United States has been on a steady decline for several decades. While it was common to have contested elections during the 1960s and 1970s, approximately 35% of incumbent state lawmakers did not have to face either a primary or general election challenger between the years 1991 and 2020. Rogers’ latest book, titled “Accountability in State Legislatures,” sheds light on this concerning trend.
Political gerrymandering is a significant factor that contributes to the unfair advantage of a particular political party’s candidates in voting districts. It involves the manipulation of district boundaries by those in power to ensure their party’s success.
According to Rogers, when one political party dominates the legislature and district boundaries are drawn to favor that party, lawmakers face fewer challenges. Additionally, lawmakers’ salaries also play a role in the level of competition they face, with lower salaries resulting in less competition. Furthermore, if an unpopular president belongs to a challenger’s party, they are less likely to step forward.
Mississippi is facing a number of factors this year that could impact its political landscape. Currently, Republicans hold significant majorities in the state legislature, and many districts are heavily skewed towards one party. Additionally, legislators receive a salary of $23,500, along with a daily expense allowance. Complicating matters further is the fact that President Joe Biden is facing low approval ratings, which could make it even more difficult for Democrats in Mississippi to gain traction.
According to Abhi Rahman, the communications director for the national Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, candidates are hesitant to participate in races they believe they will lose.
The DLCC is investing a few thousand dollars in various legislative races in the predominantly Republican-leaning states of Mississippi and Louisiana this year. Additionally, they have reported spending $50,000 in the Democratic-controlled state of New Jersey, which is one of only four states with legislative elections taking place in 2021. However, their most significant investment so far has been in Virginia, where they have already spent a whopping $2.2 million on legislative races.
Numerous groups affiliated with both the Democratic and Republican parties are investing a substantial amount of money into Virginia’s legislative races.
Virginia’s upcoming elections hold great significance as the Democrats have a slight edge in the Senate, while the Republicans have a narrow majority in the House of Delegates and also control the governor’s office. With both parties eyeing a legislative majority, the stakes are undeniably high. Furthermore, the results of these races are being closely monitored as a litmus test for the messaging strategies of the major parties in the run-up to the 2024 national elections.
Ballotpedia data reveals that Virginia has witnessed a decline in the percentage of Republican or Democratic candidates who do not face any major-party opposition in both primary and general elections. In 2011, the figure stood at 61%, while this year, it has dropped to 28%. The districts were designed by court-appointed experts since the bipartisan commission responsible for redrawing boundaries based on 2020 census data could not come to a consensus. This is in stark contrast to Mississippi.
According to Rahman, Virginians have a fighting spirit and believe that they have a chance to win in any district. However, in states like Mississippi and Louisiana, many individuals feel like they are destined to lose before the race even begins.
While Mississippi remains predominantly Republican, Democrats have managed to secure a number of districts with a high concentration of their supporters.
This year’s uncontested elections will see three Democratic lawmakers succeeded by their sons. The husband and wife duo of Senator Barbara Blackmon and Representative Ed Blackmon, both initially qualified for re-election — with one of their sons running for the Senate race and the other for the House race. However, with no other candidates stepping up to run, the incumbents withdrew their candidacy, paving the way for Bradford Blackmon and Lawrence Blackmon to be elected to the Senate and House respectively. Meanwhile, Senator Robert Jackson’s son, Reginald Jackson, is also running unopposed for his father’s seat.
Andy Berry, a first-time Republican candidate, is set to take an uncontested path to the state Senate in a reconfigured district south of Jackson. This comes after a two-term Republican incumbent decided not to seek reelection. Even though Berry lacks family ties, he has strong connections to three out of the four counties in the district. He grew up in one, resides in another, and owns a cattle farm in a third. For the past nine years, Berry has worked for the Mississippi Cattlemen’s Association and the affiliated Mississippi Beef Council, making him a well-known figure in the area.
Berry considers himself fortunate to have a secured triumph, but he is not stopping from urging individuals to exercise their right to vote. He highlights that casting a ballot is a powerful way of having a say in the government. However, it’s challenging to generate excitement without a contender.
Berry acknowledged that getting people to come out and vote is a challenge in all types of elections.
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