Johnson announces 2026 challenge to Trent Kelly

Cliff Johnson officially launched his campaign for Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District on Thursday, announcing his bid to challenge Republican incumbent Rep. Trent Kelly in a speech that stressed the need for independent leadership, a fair economy, and a commitment to North Mississippi’s largest communities.

Johnson, a civil rights attorney, made the announcement in Horn Lake, a focal point for his campaign, where he immediately addressed key infrastructure and visibility concerns facing DeSoto County.

“DeSoto County is one of the three largest counties in the state of Mississippi. It is an economic driver,” Johnson said, pledging to be active in the area and stating that its centrality to the state and district is critical. He criticized the current representative for an apparent lack of presence. “We rarely see the current representative,” he said, adding that residents will see him “more probably than people want me to.”

The Democratic challenger positioned himself as a fighter willing to “stand up to bullies” in both parties who would neglect the district’s needs, specifically mentioning federal support for local issues like sewage and infrastructure upgrades.

“If it’s Chuck Schumer or Hakeem Jeffries who says we’re not going to get our fair share in North Mississippi, I’m willing to stand up for those guys too,” Johnson said, emphasizing that the district needs a representative who will “demand the same treatment for communities like DeSoto County… that you’re going to give to D.C. and New York and Chicago and L.A.”

Johnson, the Director of the MacArthur Justice Center at the University of Mississippi School of Law, highlighted his career of advocacy, including successfully fighting to end the unconstitutional jailing of poor Mississippians without counsel and stopping a private prison from forcing hundreds of workers to clock out and return to work without compensation.

Throughout his announcement, Johnson repeatedly attacked “Washington’s” policies, which he said “punish the poor, raise taxes on the middle class and make it harder for hardworking folks to get ahead.”

Key issues addressed by Johnson include:

• Healthcare: He condemned the current government for a recent federal shutdown and for slashing vital health care subsidies to fund tax breaks for billionaires, a move he said will strip healthcare from “thousands of Mississippians right here in north Mississippi.”
• The Economy: He noted that families are working multiple jobs while corporations post record profits, and he vowed to take on punishing tariffs driving up costs for Mississippians.
• Political Unity: Johnson, who said he was raised by Republican parents who never voted for Donald Trump, pledged to work across the aisle, noting his willingness to “sit down [with] a room full of Democrats, a room full of Republicans… [or] rooms that are diverse in their political identity.”

Johnson concluded by calling for a movement “rooted in shared values, hope and the unshakable belief that Mississippi’s best days are ahead of us.”

Johnson becomes the latest challenge to Kelly for Congress. Dianne Black ran and lost to Kelly in the 2022 and 2024 campaigns. Black is currently seeking a state Senate seat in the Nov. 4 special election race for Senate District 19 against incumbent Republican state Sen. Kevin Blackwell. She also ran for the Mississippi House of Representatives in 2023. Black was at Thursday’s announcement showing support for Johnson.

Other Democratic candidates who have run but were unsuccessful against the six-term congressman have included Antonia Eliason (2020), Randy Wadkins (2018), Jacob Owens (2016) and Walter Zinn, who ran in the 2015 special election runoff when Kelly was first elected to Congress.

Johnson issued an announcement video which may be seen here: Cliff Johnson video.