A Black Republican will sit in the Mississippi House when the Legislature reconvenes next January for the first time in 130 years after voters in Tuesday’s GOP primary selected Rodney Hall to represent House District 20.
Because no Democrats, third-party candidates or independents filed to run for the seat, he will automatically win the Nov. 7 general election as the lone candidate on the ballot. House District 20 is an 81% white district located in DeSoto County in northwest Mississippi. Hall defeated opponent Charlie Hoots, who is white, by a 55%-45% vote.
“To all the voters who believed in our vision and cast their ballots, you have my deepest gratitude,” Hall said in a statement after his victory in Tuesday’s primaries. “I want to extend a kind word to my opponent. Running for office is never an easy task, and I appreciate their dedication to our community.”
Hoots was less gracious in defeat. “See Elections can be bought. Especially when you don’t go vote,” he wrote in a Facebook post after his loss.
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Rodney Hall will join nearly 50 other Black lawmakers in the Mississippi Legislature, all of whom are Democrats except House Rep. Angela Cockerham, who is an independent.
An attorney who served as a U.S. Army lieutenant in Afghanistan, Hall says on his website that he turned down a position in the Trump administration to deploy to Syria. He has served as a legislative director for Republican U.S. House Rep. Trent Kelly, R-Miss., who represents the state’s 1st Congressional District.
“During Rodney’s tenure, he helped defeat Red Flag Gun Laws, draft requirements for our daughters, and the vaccine mandate for our service members,” his page says. “Rodney also helped countless constituents and communities with projects that increased workforce development, first responders, and disaster mitigation efforts.”
No Black Representation For Seven Decades
During Reconstruction in the years after the Civil War, Black residents gained the right to vote and elected dozens of Black leaders to various political positions, including the Mississippi House and Senate. At the time, most Black Mississippians voted Republican. But after Reconstruction ended, Mississippi’s white Democratic