Jenifer B. Branning
Jenifer Branning is a judge for District 1-Place 3 of the Mississippi Supreme Court. She assumed office on January 6, 2025. Her current term ends on January 2, 2033.
Branning ran for election for the District 1-Place 3 judge of the Mississippi Supreme Court. She won in the general runoff election on November 26, 2024.
Biography
Jenifer B. Branning graduated from Leake Academy. She earned a B.A. in business administration from Mississippi State University and a J.D. from the Mississippi College School of Law. Her career experience includes working as an attorney and business owner.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Mississippi Supreme Court elections, 2024
General runoff election
General runoff election for Mississippi Supreme Court District 1 Position 3
Jenifer Branning defeated incumbent Jim Kitchens in the general runoff election for Mississippi Supreme Court District 1 Position 3 on November 26, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jenifer Branning (Nonpartisan) | 50.6 | 64,087 |
 | Jim Kitchens (Nonpartisan) | 49.4 | 62,685 | |
| Total votes: 126,772 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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General election
General election for Mississippi Supreme Court District 1 Position 3
Jenifer Branning and incumbent Jim Kitchens advanced to a runoff. They defeated Ceola James, Byron Carter, and Abby Robinson in the general election for Mississippi Supreme Court District 1 Position 3 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jenifer Branning (Nonpartisan) | 41.3 | 147,892 |
| ✔ | | Jim Kitchens (Nonpartisan) | 35.6 | 127,266 |
 | Ceola James (Nonpartisan) | 10.7 | 38,345 | |
 | Byron Carter (Nonpartisan) | 7.1 | 25,390 | |
| Abby Robinson (Nonpartisan) | 5.3 | 18,824 | ||
| Total votes: 357,717 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Branning in this election.
2023
See also: Mississippi State Senate elections, 2023
General election
General election for Mississippi State Senate District 18
Incumbent Jenifer Branning won election in the general election for Mississippi State Senate District 18 on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jenifer Branning (R) | 100.0 | 12,794 |
| Total votes: 12,794 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Mississippi State Senate District 18
Incumbent Jenifer Branning advanced from the Republican primary for Mississippi State Senate District 18 on August 8, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jenifer Branning | 100.0 | 8,472 |
| Total votes: 8,472 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
Branning received the following endorsements.
2019
See also: Mississippi State Senate elections, 2019
General election
General election for Mississippi State Senate District 18
Incumbent Jenifer Branning won election in the general election for Mississippi State Senate District 18 on November 5, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jenifer Branning (R) | 100.0 | 13,197 |
| Total votes: 13,197 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Mississippi State Senate District 18
Incumbent Jenifer Branning advanced from the Republican primary for Mississippi State Senate District 18 on August 6, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jenifer Branning | 100.0 | 9,126 |
| Total votes: 9,126 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2015
- See also: Mississippi State Senate elections, 2015
Elections for the Mississippi State Senate took place in 2015. A primary election was held on August 4, 2015, and the general election was held on November 3, 2015. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 27, 2015.[2] No Democratic candidates filed for election. Jenifer Branning defeated Mark Forsman, Speedy Calvert and Curt Pace in the Republican primary. Branning ran unchallenged in the District 18 general election.
| Mississippi State Senate, District 18 Republican Primary, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Jenifer Branning |
43.1% | 3,370 |
| Mark Forsman | 23.9% | 1,865 |
| Speedy Calvert | 20.9% | 1,636 |
| Curt Pace | 12.1% | 945 |
| Total Votes | 7,816 | |
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jenifer Branning did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2023
Jenifer Branning did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.
2019
Jenifer Branning did not complete Ballotpedia's 2019 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
State supreme court judicial selection in Mississippi
- See also: Judicial selection in Mississippi
The nine justices on the Mississippi Supreme Court are elected to eight-year terms in nonpartisan elections. All candidates must run in the general election (as Mississippi holds no primary for judicial candidates) and must face re-election if they wish to serve again.[3] For more information about these elections, visit the Mississippi judicial elections page.
Unlike most states, supreme court justices in Mississippi are elected to represent specific districts. The nine justices are divided among three supreme court districts (not to be confused with the 22 divisions of the circuit courts) and are voted into office by the residents of their respective regions.[4] Only the states of Illinois, Kentucky, and Louisiana use a similar system.
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:
- a qualified elector for and from the district in which election is sought;
- a minimum of 30 years old;
- a practicing attorney; and
- a state citizen for at least five years.[3]
Chief justice
The court's chief justice is selected by seniority. He or she serves until retirement when the justice with the next most judicial experience becomes chief.[3]
Vacancies
If a midterm vacancy occurs on the court, a temporary judge is named by the governor. Appointees serve out the remainder of their predecessor's unexpired term if four or fewer years of the term remain. If there are more than four years remaining, the appointee will run in the next general election, taking place nine months or more after the vacancy occurs. The winner of the election will serve the remainder of the term.[5]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
State legislative tenure
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2025.
- Americans for Prosperity - Mississippi — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2024.
- Americans for Prosperity - Mississippi — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- The Freedom Index — Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2023.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
- The Institute for Legislative Analysis — Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2022.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2021.
- Americans for Prosperity - Mississippi — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- Club for Growth Foundation — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
- National Federation of Independent Business — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2020.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2019.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- National Federation of Independent Business — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2018.
- ACLU of Mississippi — Legislators are scored by the ACLU on their whether their votes on bills "promote racial, cultural, and economic justice."
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2017.
- ACLU of Mississippi — Legislators are scored by the ACLU on their whether their votes on bills "promote racial, cultural, and economic justice."
- Americans for Prosperity - Mississippi — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2016.
- ACLU of Mississippi — Legislators are scored by the ACLU on their whether their votes on bills "promote racial, cultural, and economic justice."
- Americans for Prosperity - Mississippi — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- Empower Mississippi — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to education.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Sponsored legislation
Committee assignments
2023-2024
Branning was assigned to the following committees:
- Accountability, Efficiency and Transparency Committee
- Senate Appropriations Committee
- Business and Financial Institutions Committee
- Compilation, Revision and Publication (decommissioned)
- Senate Constitution Committee
- Elections Committee
- Senate Forestry Committee
- Highways and Transportation Committee, Chair
- Housing Committee
- Judiciary, Division A Committee, Vice Chair
2020-2021
Branning was assigned to the following committees:
- Highways and Transportation Committee, Chairman
- Housing Committee
- Judiciary, Division A Committee, Vice-Chairman
- Accountability, Efficiency and Transparency Committee
- Senate Appropriations Committee
- Business and Financial Institutions Committee
- Senate Constitution Committee
- Elections Committee
2019-2020
Branning was assigned to the following committees:
- Senate Agriculture Committee
- Senate Appropriations Committee
- Business and Financial Institutions Committee
- Senate Municipalities Committee
- Senate Ethics Committee
- Senate Forestry Committee, Vice-Chairman
- Judiciary, Division A Committee
- Senate Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Committee
See also
External links
|
Candidate Mississippi Supreme Court District 1 Position 3 |
Officeholder Mississippi Supreme Court District 1 Position 3 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Mississippi State Senate, "Jenifer B. Branning," accessed March 10, 2024
- ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "2015 Elections Calendar," accessed December 2, 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed September 7, 2021
- ↑ State of Mississippi Judiciary, "Supreme Court," accessed September 7, 2021
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed September 7, 2021
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jim Kitchens |
Mississippi Supreme Court District 1 Position 3 2025-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Mississippi State Senate District 18 2016-2025 |
Succeeded by Lane Taylor (R) |
Federal courts:
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi
State courts:
Mississippi Supreme Court • Mississippi Court of Appeals • Mississippi circuit courts • Mississippi Chancery Court • Mississippi county courts • Mississippi justice courts • Mississippi youth courts • Mississippi Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Mississippi • Mississippi judicial elections • Judicial selection in Mississippi
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State of Mississippi Jackson (capital) |
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