U.S. House, Mississippi 1st Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Mississippi's 1st Congressional District?
Trent Kelly has the strongest record in Mississippi's 1st Congressional District. Trent Kelly scores 62 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Cliff Johnson at 61, as of October 6, 2026. Trent Kelly's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Cliff Johnson's highest marks are roots in the constituency and command of the job. Johnny Baucom (5 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Libertarian
Johnny Baucom
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 5 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 44
- Performance
- NR
Democratic
Cliff Johnson
61 / 100
Public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 70
- Performance
- 50
Republican · incumbent
Strongest record
Trent Kelly
62 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 50
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Johnny Baucom
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Cliff Johnson
- On the record2023
Represented three Jackson residents challenging House Bill 1020; the Mississippi Supreme Court struck the special circuit judge appointments but allowed the state-run municipal court.
- Creditbefore 2026
As director of the MacArthur Justice Center at the University of Mississippi pushed to shut down debtors' prisons in Mississippi.
Source: Mississippi Today, Aug. 25, 2026
- Credit1993 to 2001
As an assistant U.S. attorney prosecuting health care fraud, received the HHS Inspector General's Integrity Award.
Trent Kelly
- On the record2020-12 to 2021-01
Signed the House amicus brief backing Texas v. Pennsylvania and voted Yea on the objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electors.
Sources: Texas v. Pennsylvania, amicus brief of 126 Representatives, House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021
- On the record2018-07
An FEC audit of his 2015 special election campaign found $75,100 in contributions over federal limits; it was resolved by refunds and loan repayment, with no penalty reported.
Source: Mississippi Today, July 14, 2018
- Creditbefore 2026
Served 39 years in the Mississippi Army National Guard as a combat engineer, rising to the rank of major general.
Sources: Magnolia Tribune, Aug. 26, 2026, Mississippi Today, Sept. 25, 2026
- Credit2025 to 2026
Chairs the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces and in 2026 is seeking the top Republican post on the full committee.
Sources: Mississippi Today, Sept. 25, 2026, GovTrack, committee membership
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Johnny Baucom. No public record found.
Cliff Johnson. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, and a House candidate financial disclosure was filed Aug. 13, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, coverage dates, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10075967, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00922039
Trent Kelly. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 filed with the House Clerk on April 20, 2026; the Clerk index lists no periodic transaction reports for him from 2019 to 2026. No House Ethics Committee matter or FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10075653, House Committee on Ethics site search, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00573980
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Johnny Baucom. No public record found.
Cliff Johnson. No public record found.
Trent Kelly. In 2024 voted against Speaker Johnson, Majority Leader Scalise and Whip Emmer on the March 2024 appropriations package, the Ukraine supplemental and the September 2024 continuing resolution.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 102, 2024, House Clerk Roll Call 151, 2024 (Ukraine supplemental), House Clerk Roll Call 450, 2024
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Johnny Baucom. No public record found.
Cliff Johnson. No public record found.
Trent Kelly. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Johnny Baucom. No public record found.
Cliff Johnson. Former assistant U.S. attorney and director of the MacArthur Justice Center at the University of Mississippi School of Law. No formal conduct finding found.
Sources: Mississippi Today, Sept. 16, 2026, Mississippi Free Press, Oct. 5, 2026
Trent Kelly. Former district attorney, 39 years in the Mississippi Army National Guard rising to major general, and in Congress since 2015. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee matter found.
Sources: Mississippi Today, Sept. 25, 2026, House Committee on Ethics site search
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Johnny Baucom. A U.S. Army National Guard veteran. No official finding of misuse found.
Cliff Johnson. Served five years as an assistant U.S. attorney, a federal civil service post. No official finding of misuse of office found.
Trent Kelly. Voted Yea on the Jan. 6, 2021 objection to Arizona's electors and the Jan. 7, 2021 objection to Pennsylvania's electors, and signed the House amicus brief in Texas v. Pennsylvania.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021, Texas v. Pennsylvania, amicus brief of 126 Representatives
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Johnny Baucom. Works as an environmental specialist and says he holds two jobs; National Guard veteran. No documented leadership role found.
Sources: Mississippi Free Press, Oct. 5, 2026, Magnolia Tribune, Aug. 26, 2026
Cliff Johnson. Assistant U.S. attorney for five years, private practice at Mississippi firms, and director of the MacArthur Justice Center. Has not held elected office.
Trent Kelly. In the U.S. House since June 9, 2015, seeking a seventh full term; earlier district attorney and a National Guard general officer.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Trent Kelly, Mississippi Today, Sept. 16, 2026
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Johnny Baucom. Publishes general positions: deregulation, ending the EU Deforestation Regulation's cost to U.S. timber, ending the war on marijuana and cutting taxes.
Sources: Magnolia Tribune, Aug. 26, 2026, Mississippi Free Press, Oct. 5, 2026
Cliff Johnson. Names specific proposals, including a ban on congressional stock trading, limits on corporate PAC spending, a ban on members lobbying after leaving office and permanent ACA subsidies.
Source: Magnolia Tribune, Aug. 26, 2026
Trent Kelly. Chairs the Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces and serves on the Intelligence and Agriculture committees.
Sources: GovTrack, committee membership, Mississippi Today, Sept. 16, 2026
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Johnny Baucom. Answered Magnolia Tribune's candidate questions and posts positions on Facebook. No campaign website or Ballotpedia survey.
Sources: Magnolia Tribune, Aug. 26, 2026, Mississippi Free Press, Oct. 5, 2026
Cliff Johnson. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025, explained his candidacy on Mississippi Today's podcast and answered Magnolia Tribune's candidate questions.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Cliff Johnson, Mississippi Today, Aug. 25, 2026, Magnolia Tribune, Aug. 26, 2026
Trent Kelly. Offers an e-newsletter through his office site and answered Magnolia Tribune's 2026 candidate questions. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Office site, home page, Magnolia Tribune, Aug. 26, 2026, Ballotpedia, Trent Kelly
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Johnny Baucom. Lives in Columbus and says he has lived in Mississippi most of his life. Has no FEC candidate record, so no contribution data.
Sources: Mississippi Today, Sept. 16, 2026, Magnolia Tribune, Aug. 26, 2026
Cliff Johnson. Has lived in Lafayette County, inside the district, for over 30 years. About 72 percent of itemized individual contributions by state for 2025 to 2026 came from Mississippi (FEC by-state totals, $278,111 of $387,623).
Sources: Mississippi Today, Sept. 16, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Trent Kelly. A native of Union who has lived for decades in Saltillo in Lee County, inside the district. About 55 percent of itemized individual contributions by state for 2025 to 2026 came from Mississippi (FEC by-state totals, $261,331 of $478,349).
Sources: Mississippi Today, Sept. 16, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Johnny Baucom. No public record found.
Cliff Johnson. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with no debts and no administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00922039
Trent Kelly. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with no debts and no administrative fine. A 2018 FEC audit found $75,100 in excessive contributions in his 2015 race, resolved by refunds with no penalty.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00573980, Mississippi Today, July 14, 2018
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Johnny Baucom. No public record found.
Cliff Johnson. As a lawyer for Jackson residents challenging House Bill 1020, won a 2023 Mississippi Supreme Court ruling that the law's special circuit judge appointments were unconstitutional.
Trent Kelly. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.104 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 1.473, below expectations. His only enacted sponsored bill in the 117th to 119th Congresses is a post office naming.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress (Kelly MS row, 118th), GovTrack, enacted legislation
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Johnny Baucom. No public record found.
Cliff Johnson. No public record found.
Trent Kelly. Missed 76 of 6,096 roll call votes, 1.2 percent, from June 2015 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Johnny Baucom. No public record found.
Cliff Johnson. No public record found.
Trent Kelly. Lists district offices in Tupelo, Oxford, Hernando, Iuka and Eupora. No published casework totals found.
Source: Office site, district offices
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Johnny Baucom. No public record found.
Cliff Johnson. No public record found.
Trent Kelly. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.12549 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 158 of 436.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Johnny Baucom. No public record found.
Cliff Johnson. No public record found.
Trent Kelly. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Mississippi's 1st Congressional District?
Trent Kelly has the strongest record in Mississippi's 1st Congressional District. Trent Kelly scores 62 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Cliff Johnson at 61, as of October 6, 2026. Trent Kelly's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Cliff Johnson's highest marks are roots in the constituency and command of the job. Johnny Baucom (5 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Mississippi's 1st Congressional District in 2026?
Johnny Baucom (Libertarian), Cliff Johnson (Democratic), Trent Kelly (Republican, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Johnny Baucom a good candidate for Congress?
Johnny Baucom has public evidence on 5 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Cliff Johnson a good candidate for Congress?
Cliff Johnson scores 61 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 70 of 100, performance 50 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Trent Kelly a good candidate for Congress?
Trent Kelly scores 62 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 50 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Mississippi race scored, and the Mississippi 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.