Special legislative election will likely impact public schools
Mississippi Parents Campaign urges voters to head to the polls on August 5
A special election for five state House districts and nine state Senate districts will significantly influence the potential use of private school vouchers in Mississippi — a contentious program that supporters characterize as school choice but opponents say would undermine public schools.
The nonprofit Mississippi Parents Campaign has urged public school supporters to get out the vote and provided an explainer on its website. The organization, which also posted relevant responses from candidates in the special elections, has characterized the school voucher effort as “escalating attacks on public schools and the incessant efforts to create a taxpayer-funded system of private schools.”
A recent federal court order mandated that 14 of Mississippi’s legislative districts be redrawn, with the primary election for those seats to be held on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, and the general election to follow on Nov. 4, 2025. The outcomes of the races, according to the Mississippi Parents Campaign, “will have a tremendous impact on the Mississippi Legislature’s level of support for public education.” Seven of the newly redrawn districts will be contested in the special primary on August 5; all will be on the ballot in the November 4 special general election.
The Mississippi Parents Campaign published a candidate Q&A on its website to highlight legislative candidates’ positions on school funding, teacher pay, pre-k and a voucher proposal that would shunt millions of dollars from public schools to fund private schools. Many candidates have not responded to the questionnaire, which the group noted could be the result of an oversight or the candidate’s desire to conceal their positions on public education. Voters in districts with blank responses posted to the site are asked to forward this downloadable Candidate Q&A survey to the relevant candidates and encourage them to respond, and to share any responses on social media.
Districts included in the special election:
House District 16, parts of Chickasaw, Lee, Monroe and Pontotoc counties (will be decided in the August 5 primary election)
House District 22, parts of Chickasaw, Clay and Monroe counties (no contested primary election; will be decided in the November 4 general election)
House District 36, parts of Clay, Lowndes, Monroe and Oktibbeha counties (uncontested)
House District 39, parts of Lowndes and Monroe counties (uncontested)
House District 41, parts of Lowndes County (will be decided in the August 5 primary election)
Senate District 1, parts of DeSoto and Tate counties (contested primary election on August 5 and contested general election on November 4)
Senate District 2, parts of DeSoto and Tunica counties (contested primary election on August 5 and contested general election on November 4)
Senate District 11, parts of Coahoma, DeSoto, Quitman, Tate and Tunica counties (contested primary election on August 5 and contested general election on November 4)
Senate District 19, parts of DeSoto County (no contested primary election; will be decided in the November 4 general election)
Senate District 34, parts of Covington, Jasper and Jones counties (uncontested)
Senate District 41, parts of Covington, Lamar, Marion and Walthall counties (uncontested)
Senate District 42, parts of Forrest, Greene, Jones and Wayne counties (will be decided in August 5 primary election)
Senate District 44, parts of Forrest, Lamar and Perry counties (contested primary election on August 5 and contested general election on November 4)
Senate District 45, parts of Forrest and Lamar counties (no contested primary election; will be decided in the November 4 general election)
The Mississippi Parents Campaign has also asked supporters to help fend off the recently passed federal tax-credit vouchers, which gives states the option of participating in the program; the Parents Campaign notes on its website that Gov. Tate Reeves may have the authority to make that decision and that, either way, he will likely influence the outcome.
School vouchers enable families of students who prefer private schools to divert money from public education to the schools of their choice. The American Federation for Children, a nonprofit organization which advocates for educational freedom, announced in this 2024 news release the creation of the AFC Victory Fund PAC to target state lawmakers who oppose school choice expansion.
The Mississippi Parents Campaign noted that the AFC Victory Fund is sending out mailers in Mississippi attacking pro-public school candidates and supporting pro-voucher candidates.
“We’ve been informed that the Betsy DeVos national voucher super PAC, the AFC Victory Fund (AFCVF), has inserted itself in this election, spending reams of out-of-state money attacking Mississippi pro-public school candidates and supporting pro-voucher candidates,” the Parents Campaign notes on its website. “Be aware that any mailer you get from the AFC Victory Fund likely is filled with false claims, and warn your friends and family: the stated goal of that PAC is to get ‘school choice’ candidates elected, and underhanded campaign tactics are standard for these pro-choice billionaires.”
This report notes that former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and her husband Dick DeVos are the largest donors to AFC’s Action Fund.
According to the AFC Victory Fund website, about 600 Mississippi students are allowed to use vouchers to meet special educational needs under existing state law.
Image: WomensVoicesMedia.org