The candidate filing deadline passed on March 1 to run in the Mississippi House of Representatives elections in 2019. This year, all 122 seats are on the ballot. The primary is on August 6, and the general election is on November 5. A primary runoff could be held on August 27 for seats where no candidate receives at least 50 percent of the primary vote.

 

Heading into the election, the Mississippi House majority is held by the Republican Party. Republicans occupy 72 seats (59 percent), Democrats occupy 46 seats (38 percent), and four seats are vacant. After the filing deadline, 224 major-party candidates filed to run in the primary. Of these, 99 are Democrats, 124 are Republicans, and one is a Libertarian. Forty-five percent of incumbents filed for re-election and 56 of the 122 races are uncontested after only one candidate filed.

 

Mississippi last held elections for its House of Representatives on November 3, 2015. Republicans gained seven seats in that election and maintained control of the chamber. The Mississippi House of Representatives is one of seven state legislative chambers holding elections in 2019, and the first to have its filing deadline pass. The other states holding regular legislative elections are Louisiana, New Jersey, and Virginia. The next state legislative filing deadline is March 28 in Virginia.