MS-01 Democratic nominee?
$2.5K
MAR 17, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleAttorney
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyProgressive Democrat
GenderMale
LocationMississippi
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BackgroundAttorney
EducationB.A., Political Science, Mississippi College (1989)
Notable personal detailsJames Clifton ("Cliff") Johnson II is a Mississippi attorney, clinical professor of law, and the director of the MacArthur Justice Center at the University of Mississippi School of Law. He previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi and practiced in private law firms in Jackson, Mississippi. In 2026, he is a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House in Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District.
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Positions
Economy & Taxes
Opposes tax cuts for the wealthy and criticizes cutting social programs (including health care) to finance tax cuts; emphasizes protecting and funding programs that support vulnerable Mississippians rather than enacting tax cuts that benefit corporations and the wealthy.
Healthcare
The candidate emphasizes improving access to health care and lowering health-care costs, criticizes federal cuts to health-care subsidies, and says protecting rural hospitals and expanding access are campaign priorities. Specific policy prescriptions (for example, support for the ACA, a public option, or Medicare for All) are not stated on his campaign site or in available news coverage.
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Immigration & Border
The candidate has publicly criticized large-scale ICE raids in Mississippi, expressed concern about increased immigration enforcement and its effects on immigrant communities, and urged that immigration policy be handled at the federal level with attention to the welfare of vulnerable people. These statements emphasize protections for immigrant communities while not outlining a specific pathway-to-citizenship proposal in the cited sources.
Endorsements
Endorsers of Cliff Johnson for MS-01 Democratic nominee?
Rep. [third elected official unnamed in source]
Public endorsement
Rep. Justin Crosby endorsed Cliff Johnson.
Rep. [second elected official unnamed in source]
Elected official
An unnamed Mississippi state representative endorsed Cliff Johnson.
Mississippi High School Democrats
Public figure
Mississippi High School Democrats endorsed Cliff Johnson.
Former Congressman Travis Childers
Elected official
Former Congressman Travis Childers endorsed Cliff Johnson.
Mississippi Democratic Primary Instagram post
Public endorsement
Mississippi Democratic Primary Instagram post endorsed Cliff Johnson.
Mississippi Democratic Primary
Public figure
The Mississippi Democratic Primary Instagram post endorsed Cliff Johnson.
Ret. Rear Admiral Jamie Barnett
Public endorsement
Ret. Rear Admiral Jamie Barnett is listed as endorsing Cliff Johnson.
State Sen. Theresa Gillespie-Isom
Public endorsement
State Sen. Theresa Gillespie-Isom is listed as endorsing Cliff Johnson.
Columbus Mayor Stephen Jones
Elected official
Columbus Mayor Stephen Jones is listed as endorsing Cliff Johnson.
Horn Lake Mayor Jimmy Stokes
Elected official
Horn Lake Mayor Jimmy Stokes is listed as endorsing Cliff Johnson.
Congressman Bennie Thompson
Elected official
Congressman Bennie Thompson is listed as endorsing Cliff Johnson.
Columbus Mayor Stephen Jones
Elected official
Columbus Mayor Stephen Jones endorsed Cliff Johnson.
Fundraising
Latest report: Cycle 20262026
LatestCycle 2026
Source: FEC
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
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