Rep. David Baria and Howard Sherman, the Mississippi House minority leader and venture capitalist, seem to have enjoyed the home stretch. This included appearances at Jackson’s largest black churches as well as an increase in radio advertising. Official results showed Sherman and Baria finished as the top vote-getters. They spent most of the evening close to neck, with Sherman leading only a few seconds before the Associated Press declared the election a runoff. “What I have learned over the past three weeks is that when you are advancing a program and people don’t get a chance meet you, I find it important to continue doing so. In the next three weeks, we will put a person to these ideas. Sherman spoke to Mississippi Today via phone. Sherman stated that the goal was to have people continue to meet me and give people that one level of separation. Baria stated that he was grateful to have been in the runoff but didn’t mention his opponent when he spoke with Mississippi Today. “I would like to thank Omeria Scott, my friend and fellow congresswoman, for running a strong campaign despite having limited funds. Baria stated that she has served alongside Rep. Scott and appreciated her leadership. These results also show the highest voter turnout for a Democratic midterm primaries for U.S. Senate, since 2006 when 104,804 Democrats voted. Bill Bowlin and Erik Fleming were in the runoff that year. Fleming won. Many Democrats and Black Caucus House Members endorsed Baria in the lead up to the primary. Scott, a 25 year veteran of the Legislature, said that she was proud of Sherman’s race immediately after the election was called. Scott didn’t say whether she would endorse one candidate. She said that she didn’t think either candidate had a chance against Roger Wicker in November. But the Democrats didn’t think so. The shadow of 2015 Political observers foresaw tight contest because of Scott and Baria’s legislative experience, which could appeal to African Americans as well as women, who are the foundation of the Democratic electorate. Sherman was able to borrow his campaign at least $500,000 due to his financial resources. He is also married to Sela Ward (a Meridian native and Emmy-award winning actress) who remains popular in her home State. No Democratic operatives were confident about Tuesday’s outcome early Tuesday. Most people expected a runoff between the top two candidates. Even long-serving Democratic officials in the state seemed uncertain about Tuesday’s outcome. Democratic operatives were also feigning concern that low turnout might lead to surprises reminiscent of years ago. Last time Democratic voters went to the polls for a statewide primary in 2015, the clear choice of the establishment was Robert Gray. Gray was a truck driver who didn’t vote and spent no money on his campaign. Three years later, these memories haunt the Mississippi Democratic Party. Conventional wisdom and current trends suggested that Baria and Scott – and not Sherman – would have the best chance at the nomination. Vicki Slater, who was defeated by Gray earlier in the election, stated that she expects one of the main three (Baria Scott, Sherman, and Sherman), will win it. However, you never know.” “I might have to eat what I said tomorrow. “I guess we’ll all see.” As voters trickled to polls in 2015, Democratic officials and operatives were weighed down by the primary disaster. Gray lost to Gov. Gray after running a modest, low-budget campaign. Phil Bryant won the general election by 34 votes. On Election Day, he told Mississippi Today that he intended to vote this election. Gray stated to Mississippi Today that “We live in the greatest nation in the world.” We have everything we need here and should be able to improve our lives. These (Senate Candidates) are open about where they see the country going. It won’t work for anyone if you don’t vote. A Sherman-Baria matchup. The Democratic electorate faces a dilemma: Should they support Baria, who is a well-respected legislator, or the lure of the huge money Sherman and Ward can raise? The support of Scott, who has more legislative experience that the men who finished in top spots and dominated most of the Pine Belt counties around Laurel, her home town, might prove crucial to the outcome. Can you imagine what one woman did just now? She said that she pushed these people to their limits. “All of (Democratic) the establishment came out and endorsed others and still we were in able to garner 24 per cent of the vote.” Pam Shaw who was part of Baria’s campaign said that she hopes Scott can win Scott’s support as she believes the candidates align on issues. “In some ways, a David Baria–Sherman runoff was what I wanted. Shaw, who is the political director for the Baria campaign, stated that there are many contrasts between the candidates. Shaw responded to Shaw’s question by saying that “One (Baria), lived and worked his entire life in Mississippi. One (Sherman), never lived in Mississippi. One is part the Democratic establishment. Sherman maintains that Mississippi is the couple’s home and that he was the first to finish. He said that Mississippians are open for a candidate who isn’t a long-term officeholder. He said, “Given that one enters a profession against two people who’ve been doing it for decades and you come in alongside a new person, it’s very affirming that the state wants real change.” To support this important work, you can make a regular donation to the Spring Member Drive today. Our reporters give a human face to policy’s impact on everyday Mississippians by listening more closely and understanding their communities. 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