The runoff elections for Mississippi Supreme Court justice are nearing completion

A runoff election for the state Supreme Court in Mississippi between state Sen. Jenifer Branning and incumbent Justice Jim Kitchens is close Wednesday morning.

Although Mississippi’s judicial candidates run without party identification, Branning had the support of the Republican Party, while Kitchens had several Democratic Party donors but received no support from the party.

Branning, who has been a state senator since 2016, led Kitchens as of Wednesday morning with 2,678 of 120,610 votes counted. Kitchens is seeking a third term and is the highest-ranking of the court’s two presiding judges, making him next in line to serve as chief justice. Their lead was 518 shortly after midnight on Wednesday.

Mississippi State Senator Jenifer Branning and Judge Jim Kitchens. (Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images | Barbara Gauntt/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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As of midnight Wednesday, the Associated Press estimated that more than 11,000 votes remained to be counted. In the November 5 election, 7% of votes were counted after election night.

Branning had a significant lead on the first ballot with 42% over Kitchens with 36%. Three other candidates shared the rest.

According to the Clarion Ledger, the winner will likely be determined by mail-in ballots, which are allowed to be counted for five days after an election in Mississippi, as well as affidavit ballots.

Voter turnout typically drops between the general election and runoff elections, and campaigns said turnout was particularly challenging two days before Thanksgiving. The Magnolia State voted strongly for President-elect Donald Trump, who received 61.6% of the vote compared to Vice President Harris’ 37.3%.

Branning and Kitchens competed in District 1, also known as the Central District, which stretches from the Delta region through the Jackson metropolitan area to the Alabama border.

Mississippi Supreme Court justices, including Justice Jim Kitchens, seated right, fourth from top, listen to arguments July 6, 2023, in Jackson, Mississippi. (Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Branning calls herself a “constitutional conservative” and says she opposes “liberal, activist judges” and “the radical left.” Mississippi Republicans said she was the “proven conservative” and that’s why they supported her.

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According to the Clarion Ledger, she has not previously held a judgeship, but has served as a special prosecutor in Neshoba County and as an attorney in the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Division of Business Services and Regulations.

According to Mississippi Today, Branning voted against changing the state flag to remove the Confederate battle emblem and supported mandatory and increased minimum sentences for crimes.

Kitchens has practiced law for 41 years and has served on the Mississippi Supreme Court since 2008. He also previously served as a district attorney, according to the outlet.

The Magnolia State voted strongly for President-elect Donald Trump, who received 61.6% of the vote compared to Vice President Kamala Harris’ 37.3%. (Getty Images)

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He is supported by the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Action Fund, which describes itself as a “catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond.” Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., also supported Kitchens.

In September, Kitchens sided with a man on death row over a murder conviction in which a key witness recanted her testimony. In 2018, Kitchens dissented in two death row cases involving the use of the drug midazolam in state executions.

Elsewhere, in the state’s other runoff, Amy St. Pe’ won an open seat on the Mississippi Court of Appeals. She will succeed Judge Joel Smith, who did not seek re-election to the 10-member appeals court. The district is located in the southeastern corner of the state, including the Gulf Coast.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.