A runoff election is set for today in the Mississippi Supreme Court race where incumbent Judge James Graves narrowly missed a clean sweep into office after general election votes and provisional ballots were certified Friday by the Mississippi secretary of state.
Graves, one of the nation’s few black state Supreme Court justices, had about 47.8 percent of the vote. His closet challenger, Circuit Court Judge Samac Richardson, trailed 17 points with 30.5 percent in the 22-county district that includes parts of central and northern Mississippi.
Votes certified in Hinds County, Miss., on Friday show that Graves received 3,331 of the provisional votes – more than half the provisional votes accepted. Richardson got 850 votes, Bill Skinner, Hinds County Justice Court judge, garnered 1,139 and Ceola James, an attorney and former chancery court judge, received 263.
Candidates and political observers say the key now is getting voters back to the polls for the runoff – especially when, in most counties, the Supreme Court race is the only one on the ballot, and a runoff was not certain until Friday afternoon.
“There is a significant drop-off between general election and runoff participation,” said John Winkle, a political science professor at the University of Mississippi told BlackAmericaWeb.com. Each candidate will have to rally voters on their own, he said, because Skinner cannot endorse a candidate because of judicial ethics, and James has said that she will not endorse a candidate.
“I must hold on to the core voters and get them back to the polls, and I must hold on to the white voters who supported me and get them to return to the polls,” said Graves.
In the general election, Graves pulled Democratic voters as well as crossover votes in some counties that were heavily Republican. The Supreme Court race, however, is non-partisan.
“In Madison County, where presidential candidate [John Kerry] got 13,268 votes, Graves received 15,614,” said George Shelton, a spokesman for the Graves campaign.
Kathy Henry, campaign manager for Richardson, said making people aware that there is a runoff will be a problem for their campaign. “There’s been confusion about whether there will be a runoff or not,” she said. “Narrowing the field to two candidates should help us.”
Graves, 50, who was appointed to the Mississippi Supreme Court in 2001, led the field of candidates in the general election with 48 percent of the vote. Graves took a non-traditional approach to campaigning in the 22-county Mississippi region, where race once formed a solid dividing line in political races.
He raised enough money to take his message on television. “There was a time when black candidates in South would avoid television,” said Shelton, a spokesman for the Graves campaign. “But Graves wants to talk about values. He’s comfortable talking about his faith and about personal responsibility. These are messages that cross party and racial lines,” Shelton said.
“I am proud of my message,” said Graves. “I want the voters to see me and to hear what I have to say.”
"As a Supreme Court justice, I promised the people of Mississippi that I would serve with honor because Mississippi deserves it; dignity because my family expects it and integrity because God requires it. I have kept my promise,” he said.
Though one candidate is black and the other white, Winkle said race has not had a huge impact on the race.
“Graves is widely regarded by the Mississippi bench and bar as being a fair and intelligent judge,” Winkle said. “That message cuts across race and party lines.”
