Warren County Board of Supervisors President Kelle Barfield will look to fill the shoes of outgoing state Sen. Briggs Hopson.
Barfield announced her candidacy for the District 23 seat. She is running as a Republican. Hopson, also a Republican, made it known earlier this month that he is not seeking reelection. The Senator’s name had floated as a potential candidate for attorney general, but he also quashed that rumor. Hopson is in his fifth term in the legislature and will remain in office until a new senator is elected.
As for the 2027 election, Barfield is the first candidate to jump in the Senate race. She has represented District 5 on the Warren County Board of Supervisors since 2020, and her fellow supervisors have selected her to serve as board president every year since 2022.
“I am running for the State Senate because District 23 deserves a proven conservative leader who knows how to bring people together, manage taxpayer dollars responsibly and deliver real results,” Barfield said. “I will work to grow our economy, strengthen our schools, support Mississippi’s working families and ensure our communities have a strong voice at the Capitol.”
During Barfield’s tenure, Warren County has announced more than $5 billion in economic development projects while returning county millage to levels equivalent to 2020. Amazon is responsible for $3 billion of the economic development success.
“Warren County leaders have shown that responsible budgeting and economic growth can go hand in hand,” Barfield said. “Taxpayers deserve leaders who respect their tax dollars, carefully manage government spending and remain focused on measurable results for our families and communities.”
Barfield boasts that she has played an active role in improving educational and career opportunities for local students. She served eight years on the Mississippi Commission on School Accreditation and co-chaired the steering committee that helped transform Vicksburg-Warren high schools into college and career academies, currently serving on its executive committee. Over the course of that effort, the school district’s four-year graduation rate has increased from 69% to 91%.
“Every Mississippi student deserves an education that prepares them for what comes next, whether that is college, technical training, military service or a career,” Barfield said. “Our local employers and community members must work closely with schools so students can graduate with the skills they need to build successful lives here at home.”
A small-business owner, Barfield owns Lorelei Books and has invested in restoring historic buildings in downtown Vicksburg. As president of the Mississippi Main Street Association, she led a board that worked with the Mississippi Development Authority to secure $10 million in funding for downtown revitalization grants approved by the Mississippi Legislature.
Barfield also brings decades of experience in the energy industry. During her career with Entergy, she led various communication and public affairs initiatives across the company’s four-state utility service territory of Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, along with merchant nuclear operations in several northern U.S. states.
She currently supports international nuclear energy initiatives as a subject matter expert in stakeholder engagement for the U.S. Department of State and the International Atomic Energy Agency. In 2025, she was named to the Fulbright Specialist roster in nuclear stakeholder engagement.
“My work takes me around the world, but its purpose always remains close to home: advancing U.S. civilian nuclear expertise to create good jobs and ensure our workers are recognized as leaders in the global economy,” Barfield said. “Mississippi has the workforce, natural resources and energy expertise to forge the next generation of American economic growth.”
Barfield said her campaign will focus on expanding economic opportunity, strengthening workforce development, supporting local schools, protecting taxpayers, and ensuring Mississippi remains a competitive place to start a business, raise a family, and retire.
Next November’s elections will determine his District 23 replacement. Party primaries will be held in August ahead of the November general. The Senate district spans portions of Warren, Issaquena, Yazoo, and Madison counties.