November’s elections are quickly approaching – and it’s not just federal races on the ballot in Mississippi.
In addition to various judicial races, including contested races for the Mississippi Court of Appeals, Chancery Court, Circuit Court, and County Court, non-congressional races include two for the Mississippi House of Representatives.
Both House District 70 (portion of Hinds County) and House District 77 (portions of Rankin and Simpson counties) will have new officeholders following the passing of Democratic Rep. Bo Brown and Republican Rep. Price Wallace. Voters in the districts will be tasked with deciding who their successors will be Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Here are the candidates running in Mississippi House Districts 70 and 77.
House District 70
Three candidates are vying for the District 70 seat: Imelda Brown, Marcus Cheatham, and James Lott III.
Brown is the widow of Rep. Bo Brown, to whom she was married for 54 years. An employee of Jackson Public Schools, she announced July 26 that she would seek to fill her late husband’s seat.
“This decision comes from love, from duty, and from a promise to continue the work of my husband,” she wrote in a Facebook post. “He dedicated his life to serving our community, and I intend to honor that legacy.”
Cheatham, a U.S. Army veteran and Jackson businessman, announced his candidacy in a July 23 Facebook post, writing that District 70 “deserves experienced leadership that puts people first.” He described his mission as “service before self.” His platform includes supporting small businesses and increasing public safety efforts.
Cheatham previously ran as a Democrat for the Jackson City Council’s Ward 2 seat but lost to Tina Clay in both 2024 and 2025.
Lott, the third candidate in the race, is the only contender with elected office experience. He serves as Ward 6 alderman in Clinton.
“Serving as Clinton Alderman has shown me firsthand how decisions made at the State Capitol affect every family, every business, and every community,” Lott wrote in a July 10 Facebook post. “The choices made in Jackson shape our schools, roads, public safety, economy, and the opportunities available to future generations.”
Lott’s campaign focuses on improving public schools, repairing roads, and expanding opportunities for small businesses.
House District 77
Four candidates are vying for the District 77 seat: Christopher Dunn, Dianne McNair-Gaddis, Melissa Sullivan, and Craig Williams.
Dunn worked as a community banker for more than two decades before becoming the chief financial officer of Vestra Revenue Cycle Management, a company that aims to strengthen rural healthcare.
“Now, I am asking for the opportunity to serve District 77,” Dunn wrote in a July 22 Facebook post. “This campaign is about faith, family, fiscal responsibility, and common-sense leadership. It is about protecting our conservative values, supporting local businesses, strengthening rural healthcare, and ensuring Mississippi remains the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”
McNair-Gaddis is the founder and CEO of 3 Girls Trucking Academy in Magee, where she trains Mississippians to drive large commercial trucks. She announced her campaign on Aug. 13 and says she will support small-business growth, food security, and better roads.
“I have spent more than 30 years working, serving, giving, and helping people in our community,” McNair-Gaddis said in the announcement “When families were in need, we provided truckloads of food, milk, bread, and other necessities right from 3 Girls Trucking Academy. I have supported our young people, schools, sports, and community programs. Serving people has always been a part of my life.”
On June 12, Sullivan announced her intentions to run for the District 77 seat. Sullivan is a registered respiratory therapist at Simpson General Hospital, where she has worked for nearly 25 years, and the founder and executive director of The Center for Pregnancy Choices of Simpson County.
“Serving others has been the thread that runs through every season of my life — through healthcare, through ministry, through my commitment to families, and through my faith,” Sullivan wrote in a Facebook post. “It is that same heart for service that leads me to this moment.”
The last candidate on the ballot to represent Rankin and Simpson counties is Williams, owner of Wildcat Creek Shooting Preserve in Mendenhall. If elected, the fourth-generation farmer will focus on public safety education, economic growth, and infrastructure.
“I’ve spent my life serving this community, raising a family here, working here, and listening to the people who call District 77 home,” Williams wrote in a Sept. 8 Facebook post. “If I’m given the opportunity to represent our home and our communities…that same commitment to service will guide every decision I make.”
Candidates in both special Mississippi House elections are required to run as nonpartisan, pursuant to state law. Upon being sworn in at the state capitol in January, the winners can declare which party they would like to be part of, if they choose to.
Reps. Brown and Wallace, like all state lawmakers, would have been up for reelection in 2027. The winners of the special elections will serve the remainder of their terms and could run for a full term in next year’s regular election.