2015 Mississippi elections

Incumbent Republican Governor Phil Bryant won re-election to a second and final term in office.[1] He was challenged in the Republican primary by Mitch Young.[2]

Retired firefighter Robert Gray, physician Valerie Short and attorney Vicki Slater ran for the Democratic nomination.[3]

Mississippi lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2015

November 3, 2015

Nominee Tate Reeves Tim Johnson Party Republican Democratic Electoral vote 80 42 Popular vote 433,382 259,008 Percentage 60.34% 36.06%

County results Reeves:      50–60%      60–70%     70–80%      80–90% Johnson:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

Lieutenant Governor before election Tate Reeves Republican Elected Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves Republican

Incumbent Republican lieutenant governor Tate Reeves ran for re-election to a second term in office. He was challenged in the primary by teacher Alisha Nelson McElhenney.[2] Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann,[4][5] State Senator and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2014 Chris McDaniel[6] and State Senator Michael Watson all considered running against Reeves in the Republican primary, but none did so.[6]

Former Republican State Senator and former Republican Madison County Supervisor Tim Johnson[7] won the Democratic primary against actor and candidate for Mayor of Greenwood in 2013 Jelani Barr.[8][9] Mississippi Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley was a potential Democratic candidate[10] but instead ran for re-election.[11]

Reeves won the general election against Johnson.[9]

Mississippi Secretary of State election, 2015

November 3, 2015

Nominee Delbert Hosemann Charles Graham Party Republican Democratic Electoral vote 80 42 Popular vote 440,048 256,689 Percentage 61.28% 35.75%

County results Hosemann:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%     70–80%      80–90% Graham:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

Secretary of State before election Delbert Hosemann Republican Elected Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann Republican

Incumbent Republican Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann considered running for Lieutenant Governor against Tate Reeves in the Republican primary.[4][5] However, he chose to run for re-election to a third term in office instead. Potential Republican candidates for Secretary of State included State Senator Michael Watson and attorney and Hosemann's former Chief of Staff Cory Wilson had he chosen to retire.[15]

Retired firefighter Charles Graham ran for the Democrats.[16] State Senator David Blount and former Secretary of State Dick Molpus were potential Democratic candidates, but neither chose to run.[15][17]

Hosemann won in the general election against Graham.[9]

2015 Mississippi Attorney General election

November 3, 2015

Nominee Jim Hood Mike Hurst Party Democratic Republican Electoral vote 66 56 Popular vote 400,110 322,648 Percentage 55.35% 44.64%

County results Hood:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90% Hurst:      50–60%      60–70%

Attorney General before election Jim Hood Democratic Elected Attorney General Jim Hood Democratic

Incumbent Democratic attorney general Jim Hood had been mentioned as a potential candidate for Governor, but he instead ran for re-election to a fourth term in office.[18][19][20]

The only candidate to file for the Republican nomination was Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst.[21] Attorney Russ Latino considered running[22] but declined to do so.[23] Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, State Senator Chris McDaniel, State Senator Michael Watson, Jackson County District Attorney Tony Lawrence, Madison and Rankin Counties' District Attorney Michael Guest were all mentioned as potential Republican candidates.[6][15] State Representative Mark Baker and attorney, author and former Madison County Supervisor Andy Taggart declined to run.[24]

Hood won in the general election against Hurst.[9]

Mississippi State Auditor election, 2015

November 3, 2015

Nominee Stacey Pickering Jocelyn Pritchett Party Republican Democratic Electoral vote 80 42 Popular vote 456,909 248,493 Percentage 63.92% 34.76%

County results Pickering:      50–60%      60–70%     70–80%      80–90% Pritchett:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

State Auditor before election Stacey Pickering Republican Elected State Auditor Stacey Pickering Republican

Incumbent Republican State Auditor Stacey Pickering ran for re-election to a third term in office.[25] Pickering was challenged in the Republican primary by Mary Hawkins-Butler, the Mayor of Madison.[26][27] State Senator Michael Watson had considered running but did not do so.[28]

Jocelyn Pritchett, an engineer, ran as a Democrat.[16] Charles Graham, a retired firefighter, had been running for the office, but decided to run for Secretary of State instead.[29]

Pickering won in the general election against Pritchett.[9]

Mississippi State Treasurer election, 2015

November 3, 2015

Nominee Lynn Fitch Viola V. McFarland Party Republican Reform Electoral vote 121 1 Popular vote 516,666 135,878 Percentage 79.17% 20.82%

County results Fitch:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90% McFarland:      50–60%

State Treasurer before election Lynn Fitch Republican Elected State Treasurer Lynn Fitch Republican

Incumbent Republican State Treasurer Lynn Fitch ran for re-election to a second term in office.[25] Attorney David McRae, whose family formerly owned the McRae's department store chain, ran against Fitch in the Republican primary.[30] No Democrat filed to run for the office.[9]

Fitch won in the primary and proceed to win in the general election against Reform party candidate Viola McFarland.[31]

Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce election, 2015

November 3, 2015

Nominee Cindy Hyde-Smith Addie Lee Green Party Republican Democratic Electoral vote 81 41 Popular vote 436,527 260,584 Percentage 61.30% 36.59%

County results Hyde-Smith:      50–60%     60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Green:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce before election Cindy Hyde-Smith Republican Elected Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Cindy Hyde-Smith Republican

Incumbent Republican Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Cindy Hyde-Smith ran for re-election to a second term in office[25] against Addie Lee Green who ran as a Democrat.[16] Hyde-Smith won in the general election against Green.[9]

Mississippi Commissioner of Insurance election, 2015

November 3, 2015

Nominee Mike Chaney Party Republican Electoral vote 122 Popular vote 591,566 Percentage 100%

Commissioner of Insurance before election Mike Chaney Republican Elected Commissioner of Insurance Mike Chaney Republican

Incumbent Republican Commissioner of Insurance Mike Chaney ran for re-election to a third term in office.[25][32] Businessman John Mosley ran against Chaney in the Republican primary.[6]

Former State Representative and Director of the Mississippi Democratic Trust Brandon Jones was a possible Democratic candidate,[32] though no Democrat filed to run for the office.[9]

Chaney prevailed in the primary, guaranteeing his win in the general election.[9]

A special election for Mississippi's 1st congressional district was held to fill the term left by the vacancy created by the death of Alan Nunnelee. Nunnelee, a member of the Republican Party, died on February 6, 2015.[49] The top-two primary was held on May 12, with Democrat Walter Zinn and Republican Trent Kelly advancing. Kelly defeated Zinn in the June 12 runoff election.[50]