Voters in Mississippi Senate District 24, which includes parts of Leflore, Panola and Tallahatchie counties, will elect a new senator in a Dec. 2 special election runoff. The new senator will take the seat formerly held by Sen. John Horhn, D-Jackson, after voters elected him as Jackson’s new mayor in June.
After no candidate won more than 50% of the vote in the Nov. 4 general election, two candidates advanced to a runoff: Currissia M. Brown and Justin Pope. The special election is nonpartisan, though either candidate is expected to caucus with Democrats.
You can learn about each candidate’s views on the issues in the short guide below. You can also read our Q&A with Currissia M. Brown here for more on her views and ideas. Justin Pope did not grant the MFP a Q&A interview.
Curressia M. Brown
Background: Meridian, Mississippi, native Curressia M. Brown has lived in Leflore County since 1996. She ran for Mississippi Senate District 24 as an independent candidate in 2023 and lost to former incumbent Sen. David Jordan, a Democrat. He announced his retirement in May and will not be seeking reelection.
Brown attended Rust College and the University of Mississippi School of Law. After serving for over 30 years in higher education, she retired as the chair of the Mississippi Valley State University Department of Business Administration in 2021.
The candidate serves as a minister of music, organist, a Sunday school teacher and a youth leader at her church. She has been a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, the Greenwood Leflore Chamber of Commerce, Rotary International, the Leflore County School District Dropout Prevention Task Force and the Greenwood/Leflore Committee on Racial Reconciliation.
Brown signaled her support for funding Medicaid and expanding it to cover people who fall into the health-care coverage gap by sharing a Facebook post from the Mississippi Democratic Party about how federal cuts to Medicaid can affect rural hospitals.
“Health care is at the top everywhere, across the counties, across communities. Access to health care, not only whether or not we will have the hospital and health care services that are in our community, but there’s also an issue with regard to confidence in health care,” she said in a Nov. 19 interview with the Mississippi Free Press.
In addition to providing children with a good education, she says, children’s mental health should also be supported.
“We have to look at how we’re providing mental health services, particularly inside our schools, because of some of the issues that young people face,” she told the Mississippi Free Press. “We have to give all of our children an education that’s going to prepare them for opportunity. We can’t fail our children.”
Policy Views:
- Supports expanding Medicaid
- Called for an independent federal investigation of Demartravion “Trey” Reed’s death
- Wants mental health services for children
- Wants to ensure existing health-care services are adequate
Website: None publicly available
Social Media: Facebook
Read our Q&A with Curressia M. Brown here.
Justin Pope
Background: Justin Pope is a Batesville, Mississippi, native who currently serves as the corporate deputy of Progressive Health Group. He has worked in various health-care roles over the years.
The candidate previously ran for Panola County Chancery Clerk in 2023 but lost to Katie Ragon.
“District 24 has a proud history of strong leadership,” Pope said in an Aug. 1 Facebook post. “I’m stepping up to continue that legacy—fighting for better healthcare, stronger schools, and economic growth for our communities.”
He says college isn’t for everyone, and emphasizes the importance of supporting education at trade schools. He also wants to address mental health.
“One of the biggest problems we have here in Mississippi is mental health. Mental health plays a big part in everything we do. This is not the time where we can tell our kids just to go sit in the corner,” Pope said at a candidate forum in Charleston, Miss.
He called for more funding for law enforcement.
“We have to be willing to sit down with the sheriff department and the local city police because right now they’re struggling. We don’t have enough boots on the ground, but also they don’t have the budget for it. That’s a problem,” Pope said.
Policy Views:
- Wants to address mental health
- Emphasizes support for trade schools
- Supports boosting law enforcement budgets
Website: None publicly available.
Social Media: Facebook
Mississippians will vote for legislative offices on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. Any eligible registered voter who registered to vote in person and had their voter registration application postmarked at least 30 days ahead of the election can cast a ballot in the special runoff election.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Contact your local circuit clerk or election commissioner for polling place information. Voters must bring an accepted form of photo ID to the polls; if they do not have an accepted form of photo ID, voters can get a free voter ID from their local circuit clerk before Election Day. For more information, visit sos.ms.gov/yall-vote.