Editor's Notebook

The first time I ever met Johnny DuPree, he had been holding court in my office for about 30 minutes before I ever walked in the door.

One of our reporters was using my office for the interview, and when I walked in, I was in a hurry but didn’t want to be rude. I mean he was running for governor. I thought I would listen a couple of minutes, and then slip out the door with my briefcase.

Forty-five minutes later, I was having a philisophical conversation with the Hattiesburg mayor about education in Mississippi.

I was totally entralled. On education, at least, I wasn’t sure if all of his ideas would work, but I knew he would make a decision, if he were governor, and stick by it.

It was that day, I knew he would give Clarksdale atorney Bill Luckett a run for his money for the Democratic nomination for governor.

Hell, he might even win, I thought.

Well, last night, DupRee smoked Luckett in the Democratic runoff, becoming the first black candidate to win major-party nod for the state’s top job.

DuPree, 57, advances to the Nov. 8 general election to face Republican Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, 56, of Brandon. Bryant already has spent $3.1 million on his campaign — more than twice as much as DuPree and Luckett, combined.

For months, Bryant has been all but given the throne to the kingdom, the heir apparent to Gov. Haley Barbour.

Bryant, may win — may win. But, it won’t be because DuPree isn’t a worthy opponent.

Don’t sit back and assume he won’t be there when the confetti cannon goes, because DuPree has come to play and he didn’t leave his ball at home.

Attorney General

Jim Hood (i), Dem

Attorney General

Steve Simpson, GOP

Auditor

Stacey Pickering (i), GOP

Treasurer

Connie Moran, Dem

Agriculture Commissioner

Joel Gill, Dem

Insurance Commissioner

Louis Fondren, Dem

Insurance Commissioner

Mike Chaney (i), GOP

Public Service Comm – Central

Lynn Posey (i), GOP

Public Service Comm – Northern

Brandon Presley (i), Dem

Transportation Comm – Northern

Ray Minor, Dem

Transportation Comm – Northern

Mike Tagert (i), GOP

Transportation Comm – Southern

Larry Albritton, Dem

District Attorney – District 1

John Young (i), Dem

District Attorney – District 1

Trent Kelly, GOP

District Attorney – District 2

Joel Smith, GOP

District Attorney – District 3

Ben Creekmore (i), Dem

District Attorney – District 4

Dewayne Richardson (i), Dem

District Attorney – District 5

Doug Evans (i), Dem

District Attorney – District 6

Ronnie Harper (i), Dem

District Attorney – District 7

Robert Smith (i), Dem

District Attorney – District 8

Mark Duncan (i), Dem

District Attorney – District 9

Ricky Smith (i), Dem

District Attorney – District 10

Bilbo Mitchell (i), Dem

District Attorney – District 11

Brenda Mitchell (i), Dem

District Attorney – District 12

Patricia Burchell (i), GOP

District Attorney – District 13

Daniel Jones (i), GOP

District Attorney – District 14

Dee Bates (i), Dem

District Attorney – District 15

Hal Kittrell (i), GOP

District Attorney – District 16

Steve Wallace, GOP

District Attorney – District 17

John Champion (i), Dem

District Attorney – District 18

Tony Buckley (i), GOP

District Attorney – District 19

Tony Lawrence (i), GOP

District Attorney – District 20

Michael Guest (i), GOP

District Attorney – District 21

Akillie Oliver (i), Dem

District Attorney – District 22

Alexander Martin (i), Dem

State Senate – District 2

Michael Cobb, GOP

State Senate – District 3

Nickey Browning (i), Dem

State Senate – District 3

Betsey Hamilton, GOP

State Senate – District 4

Eric Powell (i), Dem

State Senate – District 4

Rita Parks, GOP

State Senate – District 5

J. P. Wilemon (i), Dem

State Senate – District 5

Jerry Keith, GOP

State Senate – District 6

Stacy Scott, Dem

State Senate – District 6

Nancy Collins (i), GOP

State Senate – District 7

Hob Bryan (i), Dem

State Senate – District 7

Ed Mattox, GOP

State Senate – District 9

Gray Tollison (i), Dem

State Senate – District 9

Todd Wade, GOP

State Senate – District 10

Vann Branch, GOP

State Senate – District 11

Bobby Jackson (i), Dem

State Senate – District 12

Derrick Simmons (i), Dem

State Senate – District 13

Willie Simmons (i), Dem

State Senate – District 14

Carlos Moore, Dem

State Senate – District 14

Lydia Chassaniol (i), GOP

State Senate – District 15

Gary Jackson (i), GOP

State Senate – District 16

Bennie Turner (i), Dem

State Senate – District 17

Terry Brown (i), GOP

State Senate – District 18

Steven Kilgore, Dem

State Senate – District 18

Giles Ward (i), GOP

State Senate – District 19

Merle Flowers (i), GOP

State Senate – District 21

Loren Ross, GOP

State Senate – District 22

Eugene Clarke (i), GOP

State Senate – District 23

Briggs Hopson (i), GOP

State Senate – District 25

Cecilia Sampayo, Dem

State Senate – District 26

John Horhn (i), Dem

State Senate – District 27

Hillman Frazier (i), Dem

State Senate – District 28

Alice Harden (i), Dem

State Senate – District 29

David Blount (i), Dem

State Senate – District 30

Dean Kirby (i), GOP

State Senate – District 31

Melvin Hendricks, Dem

State Senate – District 33

Videt Carmichael (i), GOP

State Senate – District 34

Haskins Montgomery (i), Dem

State Senate – District 34

Gary Blakeney, GOP

State Senate – District 36

Albert Butler (i), Dem

State Senate – District 37

Bob Dearing (i), Dem

State Senate – District 38

Kelvin Butler (i), Dem

State Senate – District 41

Joey Fillingane (i), GOP

State Senate – District 42

Chris McDaniel (i), GOP

State Senate – District 45

Billy Hudson (i), GOP

State Senate – District 46

Joe Bye, Dem

State Senate – District 48

Deborah Dawkins (i), Dem

State Senate – District 48

Ashley Skellie, GOP

State Senate – District 49

Sean Tindell, GOP

State Senate – District 50

Tommy Gollott (i), GOP

State Senate – District 51

Michael Watson (i), GOP

State House – District 1

Lester Carpenter (i), GOP

State House – District 2

Nick Bain, Dem

State House – District 2

Chip Wood, GOP

State House – District 3

William Arnold, GOP

State House – District 5

Kelvin Buck (i), Dem

State House – District 6

Forrest Hamilton (i), GOP

State House – District 7

Wanda Jennings (i), GOP

State House – District 8

Trey Lamar, GOP

State House – District 9

Clara Burnett (i), Dem

State House – District 11

Joe Gardner (i), Dem

State House – District 12

Brad Mayo, GOP

State House – District 13

Steve Massengill, GOP

State House – District 14

Margaret Rogers (i), GOP

State House – District 15

Rick Spencer, Dem

State House – District 15

Mac Huddleston (i), GOP

State House – District 16

Steve Holland (i), Dem

State House – District 16

Buddy Coggin, GOP

State House – District 18

Jerry Turner (i), GOP

State House – District 20

Jimmy Puckett (i), Dem

State House – District 20

Chris Brown, GOP

State House – District 21

Donnie Bell (i), Dem

State House – District 22

Preston Sullivan (i), Dem

State House – District 23

Steve Whitten, Dem

State House – District 23

Charles Beckett (i), GOP

State House – District 24

Kevin Horan, Dem

State House – District 24

Sidney Bondurant (i), GOP

State House – District 25

John Mayo (i), Dem

State House – District 25

Gene Alday, GOP

State House – District 26

Chuck Espy (i), Dem

State House – District 27

Ferr Smith (i), Dem

State House – District 27

Dewayne Gill, GOP

State House – District 28

David Dallas, Dem

State House – District 28

Tommy Taylor, GOP

State House – District 29

Linda Coleman (i), Dem

State House – District 32

Willie Perkins (i), Dem

State House – District 33

Tommy Reynolds (i), Dem

State House – District 33

Jerrerico Chambers, GOP

State House – District 34

Linda Whittington (i), Dem

State House – District 37

Gary Chism (i), GOP

State House – District 38

Tyrone Ellis (i), Dem

State House – District 40

Shirley Aguilera-Logan, Dem

State House – District 40

Pat Nelson, GOP

State House – District 41

Esther Harrison (i), Dem

State House – District 43

Michael Evans, Dem

State House – District 43

Russ Nowell (i), GOP

State House – District 44

C. Scott Bounds (i), GOP

State House – District 45

Bennett Malone (i), Dem

State House – District 46

Bobby Howell (i), GOP

State House – District 47

Bryant Clark (i), Dem

State House – District 49

Willie Bailey (i), Dem

State House – District 50

John Hines (i), Dem

State House – District 52

Tommy Woods (i), GOP

State House – District 53

Bobby Moak (i), Dem

State House – District 54

Alex Monsour (i), GOP

State House – District 55

George Flaggs (i), Dem

State House – District 55

Sam Smith, GOP

State House – District 56

Jim Culberson, Dem

State House – District 56

Philip Gunn (i), GOP

State House – District 57

Ed Blackmon (i), Dem

State House – District 59

Kevin McGee (i), GOP

State House – District 61

Ray Rogers (i), GOP

State House – District 62

Tom Weathersby (i), GOP

State House – District 64

Dorsey Carson, Dem

State House – District 64

Bill Denny (i), GOP

State House – District 65

Mary Coleman (i), Dem

State House – District 66

Cecil Brown (i), Dem

State House – District 67

Earle Banks (i), Dem

State House – District 68

Credell Calhoun (i), Dem

State House – District 69

Alyce Clarke (i), Dem

State House – District 70

Jim Evans (i), Dem

State House – District 71

Adrienne Wooten (i), Dem

State House – District 72

Kimberly Buck (i), Dem

State House – District 74

Mark Baker (i), GOP

State House – District 75

Tom Miles, Dem

State House – District 75

Brenda Whatley-Kirby, GOP

State House – District 76

Greg Holloway (i), Dem

State House – District 77

Andy Gipson (i), GOP

State House – District 79

Ron Swindall, GOP

State House – District 80

Omeria Scott (i), Dem

State House – District 81

Stephen Horne (i), GOP

State House – District 83

Gary Houston, Dem

State House – District 83

Greg Snowden (i), GOP

State House – District 84

William Lee, Dem

State House – District 87

Johnny Stringer (i), Dem

State House – District 87

Daniel Kilpatrick, GOP

State House – District 88

Jonathan Hodge, Dem

State House – District 89

Jerdon Welborn, Dem

State House – District 89

Bobby Shows (i), GOP

State House – District 90

Joe Warren (i), Dem

State House – District 91

Bob Evans (i), Dem

State House – District 92

Ken Sullivan, Dem

State House – District 92

Becky Currie (i), GOP

State House – District 93

Dirk Dedeaux (i), Dem

State House – District 95

Jessica Upshaw (i), GOP

State House – District 96

Angela Cockerham (i), Dem

State House – District 97

Sam Mims (i), GOP

State House – District 99

Bill Pigott (i), GOP

State House – District 100

Harry Griffith, Dem

State House – District 100

Ken Morgan (i), GOP

State House – District 102

David Cook, Dem

State House – District 103

Percy Watson (i), Dem

State House – District 104

Larry Byrd (i), GOP

State House – District 105

Dale Kimble, Dem

State House – District 105

Dennis DeBar, GOP

State House – District 106

Herb Frierson (i), GOP

State House – District 110

Billy Broomfield (i), Dem

State House – District 111

Brandon Jones (i), Dem

State House – District 111

Charles Busby, GOP

State House – District 112

John Read (i), GOP

State House – District 113

Hank Zuber (i), GOP

State House – District 114

Jeff Guice (i), GOP

State House – District 115

Randall Patterson (i), Dem

State House – District 115

Patrick Williams, GOP

State House – District 116

Quentin Lyles, Dem

State House – District 116

Casey Eure (i), GOP

State House – District 117

Scott DeLano (i), GOP

State House – District 120

Charles Boggs, Dem

State House – District 120

Richard Bennett (i), GOP

State House – District 122

David Baria, Dem

State House – District 122

Dorothy Wilcox, GOP