Thread by @ashtonpittman

BREAKING: JFP confirms that Democrat Shanda Yates, a 38-year-old political newcomer, defeated GOP incumbent Bill Denny in the Mississippi House District 64 race 51%-49%.

Denny has held that seat since 1987—when she was 6. Dems didn't even field a challenger in 2015. #MSelex

Hester Jackson-McCray also ousted a GOP Mississippi House incumbent and made history as a black woman elected in a majority white district in DeSoto County. She won by 13 votes after losing that same seat 68-32 in 2015. Voter turnout jumped by ~1/3.
jacksonfreepress.com/news/2019/nov/…

Also from today: Trump's visit to Mississippi boosted GOP turnout in the region he visited by 5%, but boosted Democratic turnout by 12%.

Jim Hood lost the gov race by 5.7 pts, but Dems ran up numbers in suburbs & won some counties for 1st time in decades.
ow.ly/Amdw30pUfPV

Important to note: Bill Denny is the House Chairman of the Apportionment and Elections Committee, and would have been in charge of redrawing House District maps in 2020 if he had won.

Since Ds didn't pick up enough seats to flip the chamber, another R will likely replace him.

Here's my story with more context on Shanda Yates' victory today. #MSelex

https://twitter.com/JxnFreePress/status/1196565414706319360

One thing Shanda Yates told me was important for her victory ousting a 3-decade GOP rep: Her team knocked on more than 10,000 doors (with help from @MikeEspyMS). She won by 133 votes; 8,840 people voted in the entire House District 64 election. #MSelex
jacksonfreepress.com/news/2019/nov/…

Democrats also flipped a GOP-held Senate district that a judge found amounted to a "racial gerrymander." Though it was 51% black, its white residents had a poverty rate of 9%, vs 41% for black voters (statewide it's 13% and 32%). The problem? 👇🏻
jacksonfreepress.com/news/2019/nov/…

Turnout rates go up as income increases, and down as it decreases. By creating a district with wealthier than avg white voters & poorer than avg black voters, the GOP created a majority black district where black voters had no chance of electing a rep of their choice. #MSelex

Correction: Shanda Yates won by 168 votes--not 133.

Now that you've read about Shanda Yates' "unlikely" victory in Mississippi, listen to @jxnfreepress editor @DonnerKay interview @yatesforhouse for the @LetsTalkJackson podcast. #MSelex soundcloud.com/letstalkjxn/lt…

The GOP Senate had to redraw this district earlier this year, making it 57% black—just enough for black voters there to be able to narrowly elect candidates of their choice, considering the extreme racial economic disparities in the district.