By: Frank Corder, Magnolia Tribune
(Photo from Sonya Williams Barnes campaign on Facebook)
Gulfport mayoral candidate Sonya Williams Barnes, the Democrat nominee, said late Thursday that she had met with investigators with the Attorney General’s office regarding the allegations that her campaign has been involved in vote buying ahead of the June 3 Municipal General Election.
Williams Barnes said in a statement that she fully cooperated with the investigators and answered every question asked of her.
“These accusations are false, and I stand firmly on the truth,” she asserted, adding, “We remain focused on moving forward with purpose and integrity.”
The allegations raised by the Mississippi Republican Party were first reported by Magnolia Tribune on Wednesday.
A letter to Williams Barnes obtained by Magnolia Tribune said that Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s office had opened an investigation into the complaints.
The AG said her office “has reason to believe that [Williams Barnes] and the Committee to Elect Sonya Williams Barnes may have committed violations of state campaign finance laws.”
Fitch’s office told Magnolia Tribune they have been investigating the allegations since last week, prior to the Mississippi Republican Party voicing concerns Wednesday in a press conference in downtown Gulfport.
The allegations stem from two efforts to provide meals to voters after they had cast their absentee ballot. Vouchers to a local restaurant under the slogan “Souls to Polls” were allegedly being distributed in front of city hall, a designated polling place for absentee balloting, while Project 35’s “Vote and Vibe Day Party” was being promoted by Williams Barnes on social media. Supporters were instructed to grab a wristband after they voted and then head over to Eleven Gulf Coast for brunch.
READ MORE: Allegations of vote buying in Gulfport mayor’s race leads to AG investigation ahead of Tuesday’s election
John C. Hall, the Jackson-based attorney for Williams Barnes, also released a statement on Thursday saying that the candidate and her legal team met briefly with AG investigators. He called the meeting “productive.”
“We are confident that this matter will be resolved quickly, and that Ms. Barnes’ name will be completely cleared,” Hall said. “There was absolutely no improper or illegal action on the part of her campaign or others who are committed to turning out the vote and ensuring full participation in our democratic process.”
As of this reporting, the Attorney General’s office has not released a statement or comment regarding the meeting with Williams Barnes.
Williams Barnes is running against Republican candidate Hugh Keating in the June 3 Municipal General Election. Keating ran unopposed in the Republican Party primary while Williams Barnes won the Democratic Primary with over 84 percent of the vote.
Gulfport, Mississippi’s second largest city, is electing a new mayor after incumbent Billy Hewes, a Republican, announced in May 2024 that he would not be seeking re-election. He has since thrown his support behind Keating.
Williams Barnes has drawn support from state and national Democrats, including former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, former Mississippi gubernatorial candidate Brandon Presley, the legislative black caucus, and more.
On Thursday, the Mississippi Democratic Party, speaking from the Capitol, released a statement of support for Williams Barnes saying they proudly and unequivocally support her candidacy for Gulfport’s mayor.
“We are outraged by the recent attempt by the Mississippi Republican Party to weaponize the Attorney General’s office in a politically motivated investigation aimed at discrediting Sonya’s campaign. The focus of this investigation is Souls to the Polls and Project 35’s nonpartisan effort to increase civic participation,” the Mississippi Democratic Party said. “Souls to the Polls has been used in several previous election cycles called through church-based outreach and giving out a food voucher to encourage fellowship after voting. Project 35 is a group of young adults attempting to engage young voters with voter registration drives and gatherings to teach about the political process regardless of political affiliation. These efforts are not sponsored nor connected to Sonya Williams Barnes’s campaign. Further, these are lawful, community-led efforts to empower seniors and first-time voters, and they deserve praise—not prosecution.”
The Mississippi Democratic Party called the allegations of wrongdoing “scare tactics.”
“We’ve seen this before—attempts to slander our candidates, intimidate our voters, and undermine Black leadership. But we will not be silenced. We will not let lies win,” the party said.
Mississippi Republican Party chairman Mike Hurst, a former U.S. Attorney, said this week that the vouchers being handed out in Gulfport are horrific examples of individuals, groups and political campaigns actively attempting to steal an election by buying votes.
“Elections should be won by persuasion, not payoffs. In Mississippi, our democracy is not for sale. We will not stand idly by when outside groups try to corrupt and steal our elections through vote buying. Such unlawful activity strikes at the very heart of and undermines our republic,” Hurst said.
