Conservatives view recent results as a call to action

Photo: State Sen. Kevin Blackwell (R-Southaven) on the Senate floor. Blackwell is the lone Republican in the Aug. 5 primary for his

DeSoto County Republicans are taking note of the results from the June 3 Horn Lake municipal elections and sending a call to conservative voters to do the same.

In the heavily conservative county, the Horn Lake general election went strongly Democratic with a new mayor and five of the Board of Aldermen members now Democratic.

State Sen. Kevin Blackwell (R-Southaven) made the swing to “blue” part of his commentary in announcing that he appears to be unopposed at the primary level for the Aug. 5 Republican vote. The Democratic Party does not officially release its list of candidates until the qualifying list is given to the state Secretary of State’s office. However, county Democrats said Dianne Dodson Black will oppose Blackwell in the November general election.  

In thanking voters for his continued support, Blackwell said his Democratic opponent resembles failed policies of the Biden-Harris administration. Black is labeled as a liberal candidate who has lost to U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly (R-Miss.) in the last two Congressional elections.  

“Democrat Dianne is exactly what we don’t need in Mississippi,” said Blackwell in a news release. “She’s a Biden and Harris foot soldier who supports canceling $50,000 in student loan debt, radical climate policies, and expanding abortion on demand. She wants to bring those disastrous policies right here to DeSoto County.”

Blackwell said the June 3 election results in Horn Lake should be considered a warning to Republicans.  

“Democrats are trying to flip DeSoto County and we’ve seen what happens when they gain ground—crime goes up, standards go down, and our way of life is threatened—just like we are seeing in Los Angeles this week,” Blackwell said. “That’s the left’s vision for America, and we don’t need to let it take root here.”

He called on voters to stay engaged and stand strong heading into the general election.

The Southaven Republican listed a number of accomplishments made while he’s been in office.  

• Securing funding for the I-55 expansion project to reduce congestion and improve infrastructure
• Passing a historic teacher pay raise, the largest in state history
• Advancing public safety initiatives to support law enforcement and hold criminals accountable
• Driving education reform that helped power the “Mississippi Miracle”
• Leading the fight to ban DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) from state institutions
• Standing firm for conservative principles and Mississippi values

Republicans who filed for qualifying to the Aug. 5 primary are Jon Stevenson and Sen. Michael McLendon in District 1, Charlie Hoots in District 2, Kendall Prewett in District 11 and Blackwell in District 19.