Mississippi's_1st_congressional_district_special_election,_2015
A special election for Mississippi's 1st congressional district was held on May 12, 2015, to fill the term left by the vacancy created by the death of Alan Nunnelee.[1] Nunnelee, a member of the Republican Party, died on February 6, 2015.[2]
See also: 2015 Mississippi elections
Quick Facts Mississippi's 1st congressional district, Nominee ...
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Mississippi's 1st congressional district | |||||||||||||||||
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 Runoff results by county Kelly: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Zinn: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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According to Mississippi state law, Governor Phil Bryant had to call the special election within 60 days of Nunnelee's death, and had to be held at least 60 days after the call. Prospective candidates had to submit a petition for ballot access consisting of at least 1,000 signatures of qualified Mississippi voters with the office of the Secretary of State of Mississippi at least 45 days before the election.[3]
The election was won by Republican Trent Kelly.
All candidates ran together on the same primary ballot, irrespective of party affiliation. As no candidate received a majority of the vote, a runoff was held on June 2 between Trent Kelly (R) and Walter Zinn (D), the top two finishers.[1][4][5]
- Note: Special elections in Mississippi are nonpartisan. Party identification is for informational purposes only.
Republican Party
Declared
- Boyce Adams, nominee for the Northern District of the Mississippi Public Service Commission in 2011[6]
- Sam Adcock, businessman[7]
- Nancy Adams Collins, state senator[6][8]
- Ed "Doc" Holliday, dentist[7]
- Starner Jones, emergency room physician[9]
- Trent Kelly, (Lee, Pontotoc, Alcorn, Monroe, Itawamba, Prentiss and Tishomingo Counties) District Attorney[8]
- Chip Mills, Itawamba County Prosecutor[6][10]
- Greg Pirkle, attorney[6] and son of Estus Pirkle
- Henry Ross, former mayor of Eupora and candidate for the seat in 2010 and 2012[11]
- Daniel Sparks, attorney[6]
- Mike Tagert, Northern District Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Transportation[6][12]
- Quentin Whitwell, former Jackson City Councilman[8]
Withdrew
- Chris Brown, state representative[13]
Declined
- Lynn Fitch, Mississippi State Treasurer[4]
- Merle Flowers, former state senator[4]
- Tommy Irwin, mayor of Corinth[6]
- Chip Johnson, mayor of Hernando[6]
- James Maxwell, judge on the Mississippi Court of Appeals[citation needed]
- Brad Mayo, state representative[6]
- Glenn McCullough, former mayor of Tupelo, former chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority and candidate for the seat in 2008[14]
- Mandy McGrevey Gunasekara, counsel for the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works[6]
- Joseph Murray, attorney and author[6]
- Tori Nunnelee, widow of former Congressman Alan Nunnelee[6]
- John Oxford, director of Corporate Communication for Renasant Bank[6]
- David Parker, state senator[15]
- Amanda Tollison, attorney[4]
- Gray Tollison, state senator[6]
- Amy Tuck, former Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi[16]
- Todd Wade, former NFL player[6]
Democratic Party
Declared
- Walter Zinn, attorney and political aide[17]
Declined
- Hob Bryan, state senator[18]
- Travis Childers, former U.S. Representative and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2014[6]
- Steve Holland, state representative[16]
- Eric Powell, former state senator[18]
- Brandon Presley, Public Service Commissioner and former mayor of Nettleton (ran for re-election)[19]
- Scott Ross, former mayor of West Point[18]
- Jason Shelton, Mayor of Tupelo[6]
Libertarian Party
Did Not File
Predictions
More information Source, Ranking ...
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[21] | Solid R | May 1, 2015 |
| Inside Elections[22] | Solid R | March 6, 2015 |
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Fundraising
More information Campaign Finance Reports through April 22 ...
| Campaign Finance Reports through April 22 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on Hand | Debt | |||||||||
| Boyce Adams | $358,918 | $304,876 | $54,041 | $245,408 | |||||||||
| Sam Adcock | $241,033 | $123,769 | $117,263 | $120,000 | |||||||||
| Nancy Collins | $198,421 | $163,465 | $34,956 | $141,983 | |||||||||
| Ed Holliday | $121,165 | $46,903 | $58,521 | $100,000 | |||||||||
| Starner Jones | $385,901 | $327,233 | $58,667 | $350,000 | |||||||||
| Trent Kelly | $117,703 | $60,553 | $57,150 | $0 | |||||||||
| Chip Mills | $119,250 | $100,351 | $18,898 | $30,000 | |||||||||
| Greg Pirkle | $291,010 | $144,424 | $146,585 | $100,000 | |||||||||
| Henry Ross | $92,388 | $33,390 | $58,696 | $115,911 | |||||||||
| Daniel Sparks | $27,100 | $15,977 | $11,123 | $8,617 | |||||||||
| Mike Tagert | $371,965 | $245,392 | $126,572 | $0 | |||||||||
| Quentin Whitwell | $119,965 | $95,187 | $24,727 | $0 | |||||||||
| Walter Zinn | $11,552 | $8,794 | $2,752 | $0 | |||||||||
| Source: Federal Election Commission[23] | |||||||||||||
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Results
Zinn
- 10–20%
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
Kelly
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
Tagert
- 10–20%
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
Pirkle
- 40-50%
Jones
- 20–30%
Mills
- 50-60%
Ross
- 30–40%
Adams
- 20-30%
Holliday
- 30-40%
Sparks
- 40–50%
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Walter Zinn | 15,385 | 17.41 | |
| Nonpartisan | Trent Kelly | 14,418 | 16.32 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mike Tagert | 11,231 | 12.71 | |
| Nonpartisan | Greg Pirkle | 7,142 | 8.08 | |
| Nonpartisan | Starner Jones | 6,993 | 7.91 | |
| Nonpartisan | Chip Mills | 6,929 | 7.84 | |
| Nonpartisan | Henry Ross | 4,313 | 4.88 | |
| Nonpartisan | Boyce Adams | 4,037 | 4.57 | |
| Nonpartisan | Nancy Adams Collins | 4,006 | 4.53 | |
| Nonpartisan | Sam Adcock | 4,000 | 4.53 | |
| Nonpartisan | Ed "Doc" Holliday | 3,958 | 4.48 | |
| Nonpartisan | Quentin Whitwell | 3,124 | 3.56 | |
| Nonpartisan | Daniel Sparks | 2,828 | 3.20 | |
| Total votes | 88,364 | 100.0 | ||
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Predictions
More information Source, Ranking ...
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[25] | Solid R | May 15, 2015 |
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Fundraising
More information Campaign Finance Reports through May 15 ...
| Campaign Finance Reports through May 15 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on Hand | Debt | |||||||||
| Trent Kelly | $145,843 | $123,618 | $22,225 | $0 | |||||||||
| Walter Zinn | $19,056 | $23,597 | $(4,540) | $0 | |||||||||
| Source: Federal Election Commission[26] | |||||||||||||
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Polling
More information Poll source, Date(s) administered ...
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Trent Kelly (R) |
Walter Zinn (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gravis Marketing | May 28, 2015 | 509 | ± 4% | 54% | 37% | 9% |
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Results
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Trent Kelly | 69,516 | 69.97 | |
| Nonpartisan | Walter Zinn | 29,831 | 30.03 | |
| Total votes | 99,347 | 100 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
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County results
More information Trent Kelly Republican, Walter Zinn Democrat ...
| Trent Kelly Republican |
Walter Zinn Democrat |
Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes |
| Alcorn | 2,841 | 79.25% | 744 | 20.75% | 3,585 |
| Benton | 696 | 62.14% | 424 | 37.86% | 1,120 |
| Calhoun | 1,820 | 72.57% | 688 | 27.43% | 2,508 |
| Chickasaw | 1,967 | 52.18% | 1,803 | 47.82% | 3,770 |
| Choctaw | 1,141 | 75.12% | 378 | 24.88% | 1,519 |
| Clay | 2,092 | 46.50% | 2,407 | 53.50% | 4,499 |
| DeSoto | 9,764 | 78.31% | 2,704 | 21.69% | 12,468 |
| Itawamba | 3,127 | 88.53% | 405 | 11.47% | 3,532 |
| Lafayette | 3,338 | 58.16% | 2,401 | 41.84% | 5,739 |
| Lee | 10,723 | 73.64% | 3,839 | 26.36% | 14,562 |
| Lowndes | 5,283 | 63.38% | 3,052 | 36.62% | 8,335 |
| Marshall | 1,932 | 46.13% | 2256 | 53.87% | 4,188 |
| Monroe | 4,116 | 64.27% | 2,288 | 35.73% | 6,404 |
| Oktibbeha | 320 | 64.26% | 178 | 35.74% | 498 |
| Pontotoc | 4,038 | 72.74% | 1,513 | 27.26% | 5,551 |
| Prentiss | 2,528 | 77.83% | 720 | 22.17% | 3,248 |
| Tate | 2,041 | 71.82% | 801 | 28.18% | 2,842 |
| Tippah | 2,472 | 80.26% | 608 | 19.74% | 3,080 |
| Tishomingo | 2,026 | 84.88% | 361 | 15.12% | 2,387 |
| Union | 3,663 | 81.96% | 806 | 18.04% | 4,469 |
| Webster | 1,728 | 86.23% | 276 | 13.77% | 2,004 |
| Winston | 1,860 | 61.20% | 1,179 | 38.80% | 3,039 |
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- Wagster Pettus, Emily (February 24, 2015). "May 12 election set to fill north Mississippi US House seat". WMC-TV. Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 24, 2015. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- "Alan Nunnelee, Mississippi congressman, dies at 56". The Clarion-Ledger. February 6, 2015. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
- Pender, Geoff (February 6, 2015). "Governor will set election after Nunnelee's death". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
- Cahn, Emily (February 11, 2015). "Chris McDaniel Looks to Play in Mississippi Special Election". Roll Call. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- Cahn, Emily (May 12, 2015). "Mississippi Special Election Heads to Runoff". Roll Call. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
- Sam R. Hall (March 4, 2015). "Rumored, running or out for #MS01 congressional race". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
- Guajardo, Rod (March 17, 2015). "Two more to join congressional race". Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
- "Candidates Jump into Mississippi Congressional Race". WTOK-TV. February 26, 2015. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
- Harrison, Bobby (March 11, 2015). "ER physician enters 1st District race". Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
- "County prosecutor enters Congressional race". WTVA. March 2, 2015. Archived from the original on March 6, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
- Wagster Pettus, Emily (March 12, 2015). "North Mississippi US House race grows to 11 candidates". Sun Herald. Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 16, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
- "MS Transportation Commissioner Mike Tagert Announces Candidacy For United States Congress #MS01". Yall Politics. March 9, 2015. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
- Wagster Pettus, Emily (February 26, 2015). "MS state Rep @ChrisBrownHD20 says he's not running for Congress bec dad's retiring & he needs to spend more time w family RV dealerships". Twitter. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
- Harrison, Bobby (February 20, 2015). "Bryant tabs McCullough for College Board". Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
- "State Sen. David Parker will not seek MS01 seat". Yall Politics. February 20, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
- "MS-01: Alan Nunnelee Has Died". Red Racing Horses. February 6, 2015. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
- Nave, R.L. (March 27, 2015). "Politico Walter Zinn to Seek 1st CD Seat". Jackson Free Press. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
- Biggs, DeMiktric (February 11, 2015). "Dems, GOP Mulling Congressional Bids in MS01". Mississippi Political Pulse. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
- Hall, Sam R. (February 11, 2015). "Presley won't be among Congressional candidates". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
- Easley, Jonathan (March 25, 2015). "Crowded field for open Miss. House seat". The Hill. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
- Dave Wasserman (May 1, 2015). "Uncertainty Reigns as MS-01 Special Approaches". Retrieved January 2, 2022.
- "Mississippi 1 Special: Republicans Avoid '08 Redo". The Rothenberg Political Report. March 6, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
- "Summary Reports Search Results - 2015–2016 Cycle". fec.gov. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
- "Total Votes Reported by County for the 2015 Special Election" (PDF). Mississippi Secretary of State. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
- Dave Wasserman (May 15, 2015). "MS-01: Kelly Virtually Assured of Runoff Victory". Retrieved January 2, 2022.
- "Summary Reports Search Results - 2015–2016 Cycle". fec.gov. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- "Total Votes Reported by County for the 2015 Special Runoff Election". Mississippi Secretary of State. Archived from the original on July 27, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2019.