JACKSON, Miss. — In a recent election, State Senator Jenifer Branning has secured a position on the Mississippi Supreme Court, successfully overcoming incumbent Justice Jim Kitchens.
The announcement of Branning’s victory came on Friday following the official ballot counts from the runoff election held on November 26.
Both Kitchens and Branning had progressed to this runoff after distinguishing themselves among five candidates in the general election conducted on November 5.
The election took place in District 1, which encompasses the Delta region, the Jackson metropolitan area, and extends to the Alabama border.
In Mississippi, judicial candidates do not run with party affiliations, yet there was a clear delineation in support, with Kitchens receiving backing from Democratic areas, while Branning garnered favor in Republican locales.
Following the election results, Kitchens publicly acknowledged Branning’s win with a statement.
“Throughout my 16 years of serving the people of Mississippi at their highest court, I have upheld my oath by delivering justice fairly to all, regardless of status,” Kitchens articulated.
He also mentioned that he plans to continue contributing to the justice system through his return to legal practice.
Branning, a Republican Senator, received the endorsement of the state Republican Party and identifies as a “constitutional conservative.”
She expresses her opposition to what she terms “liberal activist judges” and the “radical left.”
Kitchens, who was vying for a third term, has held the position of one of the chief justices on the court, making him a senior member and next in line for chief justice.
His campaign was also supported by the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Action Fund, an organization focused on advocating for racial justice in the Southern U.S.
In a notable case from September, Kitchens aligned with a death row inmate whose conviction was called into question when a critical witness revoked their testimony.
Moreover, in 2018, he took a dissenting stance on two death row cases that involved the use of the drug midazolam in executions conducted by the state.