Hood is considered the frontrunner to be the party’s nominee for the nomination of the only statewide Democratic official. Smith and Hood have been longtime enemies. Hood brought three cases against Smith in succession, including one on felony and one on misdemeanor charges. Smith was acquitted by two juries, while a third jury was not yet determined. Smith confirmed his candidacy via text message to Mississippi Today Saturday morning. Smith refused to answer questions about whether he was qualified to run for office. Instead, he called for a civil rights investigation into the “modern day lynching” that he had suffered for many years. Smith made an apparent reference to Jussie Smollett. Smollett was arrested in Chicago earlier this week for filing a false report to police about an attack he allegedly suffered from men who were sympathetic to President Donald Trump. Later, police found out that Smollett was the one who staged the attack. His wounds were probably self-inflicted. In each Smith trial, it was clear that Smith and Hood had a contentious relationship. There were stories of threats and fights between staff from both offices. Hood’s office in Hinds County failed to convict Smith twice of conspiring to hinder prosecution in 2016 and 2017. After the judge found out that one juror was an employee of the police department and tried to influence other jurors, the first trial in Hinds County ended with a mistrial. The conspiracy charges were acquitted by a second Hinds County jury last summer. Following the failed Hinds County prosecutions in 2016, Hood was charged with felony aggravated stalking in 2018. This stemmed from a domestic incident that occurred in Rankin County in 2018, when Smith’s ex-girlfriend Christie Edwards claimed that Smith shoved Edwards and threatened her with a gun in his Pearl mobile home. Smith’s attorney said that Smith was offered a plea deal by the attorney general. This would have Smith resign from office and say that there was no way Smith would be acquitted. It was a modern Emmett Till-style attempt to use the citizens of Rankin County, which they failed to do. They tried to get the citizens of Rankin County involved in their dirty work, but they failed. Smith said that he applauded them after the jury found him innocent of the robbery charges. Smith was elected to reelection with more than 70% of the vote, beating Stanley Alexander (an assistant attorney general in Hood’s office). Smith’s entry into the governor’s race this year sets up a dramatic primary against Hood, who announced his candidacy last October, and Velesha P. Wils, a lesser-known Democratic candidate, who announced her candidacy in December. In the last week, the Republican gubernatorial primaries have tightened. Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves is considered the frontrunner to the GOP nomination. Now, Bill Waller Jr., an ex-state supreme court chief judge and freshman state Rep. Robert Foster (R-Hernando), will be taking on Tate Reeves. To support this important work, you can make a regular donation to us today as part of the Spring Member Drive.