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'MOGE' audit uncovers nonprofits' 'incredibly wasteful' spending of taxpayer funds: state official

EXCLUSIVE: An audit by Mississippi state auditor Shad White found several instances of "incredibly wasteful" expenditures of state HIV/AIDS grants, as President Donald Trump has been criticized for cutting similar funding via the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

White said his report shows funds meant for HIV/AIDS issues were spent by some recipients on a "Queer-ceanara" – a "Latinx pride month event" based off the Spanish term "Quinceañera" for a girl’s 15th birthday celebration.

"We've been following the model that President Trump and DOGE set in digging into taxpayer funds here in Mississippi," White told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview about updates to what is being called "MOGE," or Mississippi's version of Elon Musk's DOGE government efficiency work.

"We're particularly looking now at grants that are being passed from state agencies over to nonprofits, and our latest findings are really just a slap in the face to taxpayers, unfortunately," he said.

MISSISSIPPI MUSK: STATE AUDITOR'S ‘MOGE’ REPORT FINDS $400M IN GOVERNMENT WASTE

"So what we started doing is digging into grants that were designed to pay for tests, to test people for HIV/AID – and so those grants were flowing through the Mississippi Department of Health… And when you dig into how [some] nonprofits are spending the money, you see that it's incredibly wasteful."

White said taxpayer funds meant for constructive means were also spent on cab rides in the overnight hours 1,000 miles away in New York City over a several-day period.

"[That] looked like bar-hopping," he said.

COST CUTTING: 2 STATES AIM TO ELIMINATE PERSONAL INCOME TAXES

White remarked that if that kind of funding "abuse" could happen in a red state like the Magnolia State, it may only be the tip of the iceberg compared to more financially permissive blue states.

"Our audit shows that when you dig into how this money is actually being spent, it's not actually helping people with HIV/AIDS. It's not helping to test folks for HIV. It's instead just being wasted."

At the same time, the Trump administration’s National Institutes of Health has been under fire for similar cuts in its own DOGE efforts, with one CNN report citing a critic claiming "people will die."

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The network looked into changes made in a Health and Human Services database, and one source said they had been getting texts from concerned people.

Back in Jackson, White said the HIV/AIDS funding audit is only the latest in his office’s wide-ranging efforts to curb waste or fraud in terms of state taxpayer monies.

"DOGE has highlighted in particular how grants passed down from the federal government to state governments, and then to non-profits, are really a massive, massive fraud risk," he said.

"Our audit here proves that the craziest kind of stuff that you see at the federal level and the craziest stuff that may see in California or New York is happening in red states too. Every single state needs to be following President Trump's lead."

'Mississippi's moment': Gov Tate Reeves touts economic growth from eliminating income tax

EXCLUSIVE: Mississippi will be the 10th state to eliminate the state income tax, and Republican Gov. Tate Reeves is celebrating the anticipated economic boom as "Mississippi's moment."

"We are more competitive than we've ever been before. Lowering the tax on work, and ultimately, eliminating the tax on work, is going to make us even more competitive," Reeves told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. 

Reeves signed a bill into law in March to roll back Mississippi's state income tax from 4% to 3% by 2030, and eventually to zero. The Republican governor said eliminating the state income tax would "help level the playing field" and make Mississippi more competitive with neighboring states, such as Texas, Florida and Tennessee, who already have no income tax. 

"We have already seen the fruits of that with over $32 billion in new capital investment in Mississippi over the last four years. We had the lowest unemployment rate in our state's history last year. We had more people working last year than at any time in our state's history. We had, in 2024, the second-fastest growing economy in all of America last year. We had the fourth fastest-growing per capita income in all of America in 2024," Reeves said. 

DEEP RED STATE MAKES MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT INCOME TAX: 'WE PLANT OUR FLAG'

While President Donald Trump's administration has floated tax hikes for millionaires to accomplish his ambitious budget agenda, which includes an extension of his 2017 tax cuts and no taxes on tips or Social Security, the Trump loyalist made his position on tax hikes clear in an interview with Fox News Digital. 

'MISSISSIPPI MUSK': STATE AUDITOR'S MOGE REPORT FINDS $400M IN GOVERNMENT WASTE

"I oppose raising taxes on anybody," Reeves said when asked if he would support a small tax hike on millionaires. 

Reeves explained that his plan to eliminate Mississippi's income tax was devised to "reduce taxes on hardworking Mississippians" and "hardworking Americans."

"We believe that the government ought to take less, so that individuals can keep more. And that's what we've tried to do in our state. We need more workers in our state. We need more income in our state, and I believe if you want more of something, you ought to tax it less," he added. 

'HARD NO': MILLIONAIRE TAX HIKE PROPOSAL HAS HOUSE REPUBLICANS DIVIDED

While Reeves was unwilling to bend to Trump's potential tax hike, the Mississippi governor dismissed concerns over Trump's tariff policies. 

"There’s no doubt that there are a lot of opinions about the Trump administration's approach to tariffs, but let me just tell you what our experience has been. Mississippi has had tremendous success in the last four to five years in growing our economy," Reeves said. 

He touted more than $75 billion in potential capital investments, claiming Mississippi's "deal flow is larger today than at any time in our state's history." Reeves said states like Mississippi are going to be "huge winners" under Trump's leadership as he seeks to return manufacturing to the United States. 

"We never gave up on manufacturing. We have been, for years, investing in training and retraining our workforce for a manufacturing boom, and I think we're fixing to see that here in the United States of America," Reeves said. 

As for the future of Mississippi's economy, Reeves said "it's going to continue to boom."

Mississippi has also been leading state-level Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) efforts, which the state auditor Shad White has jokingly called "MOGE." White released a compilation of audits last month that amounted to over $400 million in waste during his tenure. 

"During the time between 2012 and 2020, when I was lieutenant governor, we actually saw a reduction of total state employees from 33,000 down to almost 24,000, almost a 30 percent decline in the total number of employees, and yet, we're still providing the same level of government service. If that can be done in state government in Mississippi, it can be in every government, from the local level, to the state level, to Washington, D.C.," Reeves said. 

The Mississippi Republican added that Washington has a "spending problem," and applauded Elon Musk's efforts to cut government waste during Trump's first 100 days in office. 

"I would think every American would be for reducing the types of irrational spending that the Biden administration did in its final year," Reeves said. 

Jackson, Mississippi, mayor facing federal bribery charges trails challenger in mayoral election results

23 April 2025 at 04:11

The federally indicted mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, is trailing his opponent in the city’s Democratic primary runoff. 

Unofficial vote totals show state Sen. John Horhn leading two-term Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba 18,493 to 6,246, according to the city clerk’s office. Although absentee votes have not yet been counted, Horhn declared victory in the race. 

Lumumba, Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens II and Jackson City Councilman Aaron Banks are facing charges of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, honest services wire fraud and money laundering, the Justice Department announced last November. All three have pleaded not guilty. 

An indictment alleged the three Democrats accepted payments, including $50,000 for the mayor’s reelection campaign, from two people they thought were real estate developers looking to build a hotel near the city’s downtown convention center. It turns out they worked for the FBI. 

‘MISSISSIPPI MUSK’: STATE AUDITOR’S MOGE REPORT FINDS $400 MILLION IN GOVERNMENT WASTE

"Residents have been, you know, told a narrative that should – that should give them every reason for us not to be here, right? And we’re trying to make it clear that that’s not who we are," Lumumba said Friday, according to the Associated Press. 

Lumumba and Horhn faced off in a Democratic mayoral primary once before in 2017. In that race, Lumumba defeated Horhn outright, earning 55% of the vote. 

The winner of this race will advance to the June 3 general election. 

"People are ready for something different," Horhn recently said. "They are ready for change; they’re ready for leadership; they’re ready for better streets; they’re ready for less crime; they’re ready for more opportunities." 

Lumumba, son of the late Republic of New Afrika leader Chokwe Lumumba, released a video statement last year denying ever accepting a bribe and calling the indictment a "political prosecution" intended to "destroy [his] . . . reputation." 

CAPITAL CITY DEMOCRATIC MAYOR, PROSECUTOR INDICTED IN UNDERCOVER BRIBERY STING 

"Jackson residents, it is with great disappointment that I come before you. My legal team has informed me that federal prosecutors have, in fact, indicted me on bribery and related charges," he said.  

"There is no coincidence, and its timing being just before the upcoming mayoral race. My legal team will vigorously defend me against these charges. Again, while I am disappointed, I am not deterred, so I ask for your patience and your prayers during this process. Thank you." 

The three officials were in a bugged room on a yacht in Broward County, Florida, negotiating what they believed to be the developers' payments when they were caught, according to the local Mississippi Clarion-Ledger. 

One undercover agent reportedly asked the officials to move forward a deadline for an "SOQ," or statement of qualifications, required for the planned hotel development, and Lumumba reportedly went ahead and made a phone call. 

Another agent then handed the mayor five checks worth $50,000 total. After returning to Mississippi, the funds were reportedly deposited in the mayor's campaign account, according to the paper. 

Fox News Digitals’ Charles Creitz and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

'Mississippi Musk': State auditor's MOGE report finds $400M in government waste

14 April 2025 at 05:00

EXCLUSIVE: On Monday, Mississippi state auditor Shad White will release a compilation of audits conducted by his office that tabulated a collective $400 million in waste over the course of his tenure.

"In the last few weeks, we’ve jokingly started calling ourselves MOGE, the Mississippi Office of Government Efficiency, like Elon Musk’s DOGE," White told Fox News Digital, referring to Musk's Department of Government Efficiency under the Trump administration.

"We approach our work with the same attention to every penny as DOGE, and I’m happy to be Mississippi’s Musk," White said.

While the auditor’s office cannot cut any of the wasteful spending, it alerts state lawmakers to what it discovers.

COST CUTTING: 2 STATES AIM TO ELIMINATE PERSONAL INCOME TAXES

"We've been working on this project really for the last couple of years. And what's encouraging right now is that President Trump and Elon Musk are doing DOGE, which has raised public awareness about the amount of fraud, waste and abuse in government," White said in his exclusive interview.

"So, people are starting to look closely at what we've uncovered. In our time in the state auditor's office, my team and I have uncovered about $400 million worth of waste."

That figure will be broken down in an 800-page report, which White will make public later Monday.

He said that Medicaid is a major issue, in that tens of millions of dollars in subsidies are going to income-ineligible Mississippians.

One state agency was spending nearly $6,000 each on televisions, which the similarly bloated feds pay about $2,000 for similar tech, he said.

REEVES RALLIES AROUND PROPOSAL TO CUT MS INCOME TAX

"So, if you think the federal government is inefficient, I promise you, your state governments around the country are likely even less efficient," he said.

Asked about slashing wasteful spending in DEI and elsewhere, White said that even in a red state like the Magnolia State, there is a lot to be discovered and trimmed down.

"[W]hen you dig into what they're doing with all of this staff time and all of these resources, they were doing things like holding microaggression training sessions for engineers — I don't know why we need to do that. They were handing out grants for social justice yoga for preschoolers. Just crazy stuff," he said, as $11 million in taxpayer funding has gone to DEI at colleges alone.

In the Magnolia State, 20% of people live below the poverty line, so efficient spending of federal and other public funds is paramount, White said.

Millions of misspent dollars came from welfare appropriations, including approved community gardens that were never built, or nonprofits who pledged to use funding to help the poor but instead padded executive salaries.

"We found dollars supposed to be going to poor folks going to pay for sponsorship of beauty pageants," he added.

"Really, I think the big-picture point here is, this kind of waste happens at every level of government. And now that DOJ is taking the lead and showing the country how much fraud, waste and abuse there is, it's really incumbent on every single state government to take a look at their own house and make sure that that fraud, waste, and abuse isn't happening in state government, too."

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State auditor roles vary statutorily from state-to-state. 

When asked whether White has worked with neighboring officials or if other Deep South states have collaborated on regional DOGE-type initiatives, White said that some states like Alabama have auditor roles with more limited statutory powers than his in Jackson.

But he said that Oklahoma auditor Cindy Byrd is working on a similar endeavor to uncover government waste in the Sooner State.

"We [state auditors] are in conversation with one another — and whether it's your state auditor or a key state legislator or the governor, really, every state needs to be starting a DOGE."

Fox News Digital reached out to Reeves for comment on White’s past work in identifying waste, fraud and abuse.

GOP governor rallies around historic proposal to slash state's income tax: 'I am optimistic'

31 March 2025 at 10:20

Montana is considering making cuts to its individual income tax rate as a growing number of states have completely transitioned to eliminating the tax altogether.

Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte came out in support of Senate Bill 323 last week, which would cut the state income tax from 5.9% to 4.9%, at a news conference with Americans for Prosperity. The cut is what the governor suggested in his November budget proposal. 

"So I came into office back four years ago after 16 years of Democrats in the governor's office in Montana, and we had the highest income tax rate in the Rocky Mountain West," Gianforte told Fox News Digital in an interview. 

"I firmly believe that the citizens of Montana know how to spend their money better than the government does. And so we've made it a priority to bring the tax rate down and to simplify our tax code. We've gone from seven tax brackets to two. With this change that we're proposing, we knock another full percentage point off the income tax rate, and we'd be very close to a flat tax," he added.

MONTANA AG ASKS SUPREME COURT TO UPHOLD LAW REQUIRING PARENTAL CONSENT FOR A MINOR'S ABORTION

If passed into law, it would lower the Treasure State's comparatively high tax rate compared to others in the region even further, after the bracket impacting most people went from 6.9% to 6.75%, down to 5.9% in recent years. The state previously had seven brackets, and now it has two as of 2021. 

"It's the most conservative tax-cut bill in front of our legislature right now, and we are a conservative legislature. I am optimistic," the Republican said. 

The current version of the bill, which is still early in the process, would cut the tax rate to 5.4% in 2026 and the 4.9% rate would start in 2027, according to the legislation's fiscal note

"As a fellow Montanan feeling the economic strain from the current rising cost of living in our gorgeous state, the bill would provide some relief," Bianca Lester of Butte said, according to a news release. 

"I’m a single mom of four, which is no easy feat, and I need every penny that I make to help house and clothe and feed my kids. This bill would allow for so many other families like mine to keep all of our hard-earned income," Lester added.

Donald Trump Jr. also came out in support of the proposed cuts. 

"[Gianforte] pushing for the largest income tax cut in Montana history, just like my father’s historic tax cuts! Montana leading the way with conservative, Trump-style tax policies! Get it done! #MAGA," he posted last week.

MORNING GLORY: TRUMP, TARIFFS, THE CR AND THE TAX CUTS

The development comes as Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves just signed legislation that will phase out the state’s income tax entirely in the coming years with the hope of boosting economic development in the southern state. 

In Montana, there are also bills moving through the process to tackle the state's property taxes. 

DEEP RED STATE MAKES MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT INCOME TAX: 'WE PLANT OUR FLAG'

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Nationwide, President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are also pushing for major tax reforms, including no taxes on tips and overtime pay, and there have also been other income tax cuts floated by the Trump administration

"I'm excited to get this across the finish line, because I think Montanans know how to spend their money better than the government does," Gianforte said. 

Deep red state makes major announcement about income tax: 'We plant our flag'

27 March 2025 at 15:30

FIRST ON FOX: Mississippi taxpayers will get significant relief with the incremental elimination of the state's income tax.

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves is signing legislation into law Thursday evening that will lower that tax from 4.7% to nothing over the next few years, including getting it down to 3% by 2030, then eventually down to zero.

House Bill 1, the "Build Up Mississippi Act," also slashes the grocery tax to 5% from 7%.

REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR SAYS DOGE IS RESTORING OPTIMISM IN FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY

"I am proud to sign into law a complete elimination of the individual income tax in the state of Mississippi," Reeves said in a statement. 

"Let me say that again: Mississippi will no longer tax the work, the earnings or the ambition of its people. The legislation I’m signing today puts us in a rare class of elite, competitive states. There are only a handful of states in the country that do not tax income. Today, Mississippi joins their ranks, and, in doing so, we plant our flag."

Proponents of the legislation believe it will help boost economic development in the state. Only nine states do not charge an individual income tax: Tennessee, Florida, South Dakota, New Hampshire, Florida, Nevada, Wyoming, Alaska and Washington.

ICE ARRESTS 16 ILLEGAL MIGRANTS CAUGHT FLEEING OUT BACK OF MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS DURING RAID

"This is more than a policy victory. This is a transformation. And it’s a transformation that I have believed in, fought for and worked toward for many years," the governor stated.

"Generations from now, when our kids are raising families of their own in a stronger, more prosperous Mississippi, they will look back on this moment and say, ‘This is when we took our shot.’ To the people of Mississippi, you are the real winners today."

MISSISSIPPI CITY DROPS LIBEL LAWSUIT AGAINST LOCAL PAPER FORCED TO REMOVE EDITORIAL CRITICAL OF OFFICIALS

The state legislature had disagreements on how to best approach tax policy, and a typo considered a happy accident by proponents paved the way for a faster schedule on how soon the cuts can be made, according to The Clarion Ledger. The outlet reported that some Democrats are opposed to the legislation, citing potential concerns about its effect on the public sector.

The new policy comes as major tax changes are being proposed at the federal level. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 expires this year, and President Donald Trump has pledged to extend it. He is also hoping to make good on a promise to scrap the federal income tax on tipped wages and overtime pay. 

EXCLUSIVE: Red state governor says DOGE aligns with GOP’s ‘fiscal sanity’

21 February 2025 at 01:00

EXCLUSIVE: Governors from across the country are descending upon Washington, D.C., this week for the National Governors Association’s winter meeting. Among them is Gov. Tate Reeves, R-Miss., who said the Department of Government Efficiency has renewed Republican governors’ optimism in the federal government.

Reeves, who was elected governor of Mississippi in 2019 and re-elected in 2023, told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview at the Republican Governors Association that DOGE aligns with Republican governors’ "fiscal sanity."

"There's no doubt that Republican governors lead the nation in fiscal responsibility and, quite frankly, in fiscal sanity. Part of that is because, as governors, we have to balance our budgets back home. For us to see the efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency, by Elon Musk and his team with the support of President Trump, it gives us great reason for optimism, because we think that there are literally billions and billions of dollars in spending in the federal government that should not be spent, that are for waste, fraud and abuse," Reeves said. 

The second-term governor said most Americans appreciate DOGE’s audit and Republicans won’t allow the federal government to spend American taxpayer dollars on "some of the crazy things that have been identified in the last several weeks."

SURPRISING NEW POLL NUMBERS RELEASED ON TRUMP'S PERFORMANCE SO FAR IN THE WHITE HOUSE

"We believe that we ought to treat the taxpayers' money exactly the way we would treat our own money. We're not going to allow our own money to be spent on things that don't make sense. We don't think we ought to use the taxpayers' money, spending them on things like what has been found in the last couple of three weeks," Reeves added.

MUSK WEIGHS A 'DOGE DIVIDEND' TO SEND AMERICANS CHECKS USING SAVED FUNDS

Meanwhile, Reeves can’t wrap his head around Democrats' rejection of government efficiency. 

"I'm really perplexed as to why Democrats have not actually supported these efforts," Reeves said. "There was a time in America where all politicians of reasonable stripes would say we ought to try to make government more efficient. We ought to ensure that government money is being spent in the right way."

Reeves questioned who benefited from the misuse of taxpayer dollars during President Joe Biden’s administration. 

"The Democrats' opposition to these audits is really beyond my ability to comprehend. The reality is that they are fighting for waste, fraud and abuse in government. It's almost as if they want that waste, fraud and abuse. It drives you to the question of who's benefiting from the way in which the Biden administration spent these dollars in the last four years."

Democrats have called DOGE’s ongoing layoffs and President Donald Trump’s flurry of executive orders a "constitutional crisis." Reeves said Trump is doing exactly what he was elected to do. 

"When you talk about their claims of a constitutional crisis, a duly elected president managing the executive branch of government is not a constitutional crisis. In fact, it is exactly what the duly elected executive is supposed to do. President Trump is doing exactly what he got the mandate to do when he was elected overwhelmingly in the election in November. He got that mandate in large part because the Democrats have gone so far to the left that most people in the middle don't even recognize the Democrat Party of today, and they're just continuing down that path in deciding that government efficiency is not something they want to support," Reeves said. 

Reeves added Trump’s return to the White House has empowered governors' voices on both sides of the political aisle, drawing a stark contrast between President Joe Biden’s and Trump’s presidencies. 

"Having President Trump in office is a big plus, not only for me or for our Republican governors, but really for all governors," Reeves said. "The first thing I would say about President Trump is that it is just completely different than what we saw during the Biden years, regardless of politics, regardless of policy views. President Trump respects and wants to hear from governors. He wants to know what other chief executives are doing in the states. We have a voice and that's incredibly important."

Reeves said, unlike what he saw during Biden’s administration, Trump genuinely values all governors’ opinions, and having access to the president again is encouraging. 

"I think even some of those governors on the other side of the political aisle will recognize that it’s certainly something that President Trump values is our opinion. That's something that we're going to see over the next few days, having multiple opportunities to sit down and visit with the president, so that's encouraging."

Reeves said Trump’s return to Washington is building on Mississippi’s momentum in education, artificial intelligence and manufacturing. 

"We want to work with President Trump in his efforts to onshore more manufacturing. That's something that's important to Mississippi's economy. Many states across the country gave up on manufacturing 20 years ago. Mississippi never gave up on manufacturing. And that's the reason we have a workforce that is ready for tremendous economic growth and prosperity. We're going to take advantage of that," Reeves said. 

Mississippi DA bill would pay bounty hunters a reward to help facilitate deportation of illegal immigrants

24 January 2025 at 13:22

Matthew Barton, a Mississippi district attorney, is proposing a bill that would pay bounty hunters for assistance in deporting illegal immigrants. 

Under the terms of House Bill 1484, the state would create the Mississippi Illegal Alien Certified Bounty Hunter Program, which would pay a $1,000 reward to registered bounty hunters for each successful deportation they facilitate. 

"This legislation is about keeping Mississippi communities safe," said Republican state Rep. Justin Keen, who authored the bill. 

ACTIVE-DUTY TROOPS BEGIN ARRIVING AT US-MEXICO BORDER IN TEXAS AND CALIFORNIA TO COMBAT MIGRANT CRISIS

"We’ve seen firsthand the danger posed by bad actors and violent criminals who enter this country illegally, like the innocent life of Laken Riley," he added. "President Trump’s administration has made it clear that deporting illegal immigrants is a priority, and we are proud to do our part here in Mississippi to help support his agenda and protect our citizens."

Funding for the proposed program would come from the general assembly and be administered by the state treasurer.

The intention, Keen said, is to encourage collaboration between law enforcement and private citizens in identifying illegal immigrants in the state. It would also alleviate financial burdens on Mississippi taxpayers, who bear the costs of illegal immigration, a press release states.  

TRUMP'S ICE NABS CHILD SEX OFFENDERS AMONG 530+ ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CAUGHT IN SINGLE DAY

The bill comes as the Trump administration continues to tout tougher policies to combat illegal migration into the United States, as well as crime. Federal immigration authorities have made hundreds of arrests this week of illegal immigrants with criminal histories. 

"When President Trump took office this week, he immediately recognized the emergency at our borders, rolling out executive orders to combat illegal immigration and cartels," DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton said in a statement. "This legislation builds upon that foundation, empowering local leaders and communities to support federal efforts in protecting our citizens." 

"Legal immigration is a cornerstone of America, and we must ensure that our borders are secure and that the safety of Mississippians comes first," Barton continued. 

Mississippi runoff election for state Supreme Court justice is too close to call

27 November 2024 at 05:37

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

Although Mississippi judicial candidates run without party labels, Branning had the endorsement of the Republican Party, while Kitchens had several Democratic Party donors but did not receive an endorsement from the party. 

Branning, who has been a state senator since 2016, led Kitchens by 2,678 votes out of 120,610 votes counted as of Wednesday morning. Kitchens is seeking a third term and is the more senior of the court’s two presiding justices, putting him next in line to serve as chief justice. Her lead had been 518 just after midnight Wednesday.

NEWS ANCHOR DROPPED AFTER SOCIAL MEDIA POST TELLING TRUMP-HATERS SUPPORTING HARRIS: 'STAY HOME, DON’T VOTE'

Around midnight Wednesday, The Associated Press estimated there were more than 11,000 votes still to be counted. In the Nov. 5 election, 7% of votes were counted after election night.

Branning had a substantial lead in the first round of voting with 42% compared to Kitchens' 36%. Three other candidates split the rest.

The victor will likely be decided by absentee ballots that are allowed to be counted for five days following an election in Mississippi, as well as the affidavit ballots, according to the Clarion Ledger.

Voter turnout typically decreases between general elections and runoffs, and campaigns said turnout was especially challenging two days before Thanksgiving. The Magnolia State voted emphatically for President-elect Donald Trump, who garnered 61.6% of the vote compared to Vice President Harris’ 37.3%.

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

Branning calls herself a "constitutional conservative" and says she opposes "liberal, activists judges" and "the radical left." The Mississippi GOP said she was the "proven conservative," and that was why they endorsed her. 

EX-NY TIMES REPORTER ISSUES WARNING ON LIBERAL MEDIA, REVEALS WHY SHE HAD TO LEAVE

She has not previously held a judicial office but served as a special prosecutor in Neshoba County and as a staff attorney in the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Division of Business Services and Regulations, per the Clarion Ledger.

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

Kitchens has been practicing law for 41 years and has been on the Mississippi Supreme Court since 2008, and prior to that, he also served as a district attorney, according to the outlet.

He is endorsed by the Southern Poverty Law Center's Action Fund, which calls itself "a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond." Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., also backed Kitchens.

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

Elsewhere, in the state’s other runoff election, 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 Court of Appeals. The district is in the southeastern corner of the state, including the Gulf Coast.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Top 10 states where Trump outperformed in 2024

20 November 2024 at 02:00

President-elect Trump flipped six highly competitive states in his election victory last week. But as a Fox News analysis showed last week, his gains with voters were not limited to the battlegrounds. 

This list covers the 10 states where Trump most outperformed his 2020 margins.

Notably, conservative strongholds aren’t the only states that made the list. The top 10 also includes deeply Democrat areas. Trump didn’t win these states, but they swung to the right.

Vote counting continues in some highly populated states on this list, including California and New York.

IN ELECTION VICTORY, TRUMP'S GAINS WENT BEYOND THE BATTLEGROUNDS

Note: As of this writing, approximately 3% of ballots have not yet been counted in New York.

So far, New York has swung 11 points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 6.3-point improvement on his 2020 vote share, while his Democrat opponent, Vice President Harris, slipped by five points.

He gained across the state, with his largest swings in New York City and Long Island.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Harris would win the state. With 97% of the vote counted, she is winning by 12 points.

TRUMP TRAIN CHUGS PAST 2020 MARGINS, PARTICULARLY AMONG HISPANICS, URBAN NORTHEASTERNERS

Note: As of this writing, approximately 1% of ballots have not yet been counted in New Jersey.

So far, New Jersey has swung 10 points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 4.7-point improvement on his 2020 vote share, while Harris slipped by 5.3 points.

He gained across New Jersey, with his largest swings in the northeast corner of the state. Hudson and Passaic counties lead the pack.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Harris would win the state. With 99% of the vote counted, she is winning by six points.

Florida swung 10 points toward Trump.

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The president-elect posted a 4.9-point improvement on his 2020 vote share; Harris slipped by the same amount.

He gained across the state. The most notable swing was in Miami-Dade County, which flipped to the GOP for the first time since 1988.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Trump would win the state. With the results certified, he won by 13 points.

Massachusetts swung nine points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 4.2-point improvement on his 2020 vote share and Harris slipped by 4.6 points.

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He gained across the state, with double-digit swings in Suffolk County, which includes Boston, and Bristol County.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Harris would win the state. With 99% of the vote counted, she is winning by 25 points.

Note: As of this writing, approximately 5% of ballots have not yet been counted in California.

So far, California has swung nine points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 3.8-point improvement on his 2020 vote share as Harris slipped by 4.8 points.

He gained in many areas across the state, including the two most populated cities, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Harris would win the state. With 95% of the vote counted, she is winning by 21 points.

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Texas swung eight points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 4.2-point improvement on his 2020 vote share; Harris slipped by roughly the same amount.

He gained across Texas, with the largest swings concentrated in the southern parts of the state. Webb County, for example, home to Laredo, moved 25 points toward Trump. That gave Republicans their first win there in over a century.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Trump would win the state. With 99% of the vote counted, he is winning by 14 points.

Note: As of this writing, approximately 2% of ballots have not yet been counted in Mississippi.

So far, Mississippi has swung eight points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a four-point improvement on his 2020 vote share; Harris slipped by roughly the same amount.

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He gained across the state, including in Yazoo County, a majority-Black county that last voted for the GOP in 2004.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Trump would win the state. With 98% of the vote counted, he is winning by 24 points.

Rhode Island swung seven points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 3.3-point improvement on his 2020 vote share, while Harris slipped by four points.

He gained across the state, led by Providence, the city’s highest-populated area.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Harris would win the state. With 98% of the vote counted, she is winning by 14 points.

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Tennessee swung 6.5 points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 3.5-point improvement on his 2020 vote share, while Harris slipped by three points.

He gained across the state, including a double-digit swing in Trousdale County, a rural area outside the Nashville metropolitan area.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Trump would win the state. With 99% of the vote counted, he is winning by 30 points.

Note: As of this writing, approximately 1% of ballots have not yet been counted in Illinois.

So far, Illinois has swung six points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 3.4-point improvement on his 2020 vote share; Harris slipped by 2.9 points.

He gained across Illinois, with a notable eight-point swing in Cook County, home to Chicago.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Harris would win the state. With 99% of the vote counted, she is winning by 11 points.

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