After Republicans secured three of the state’s four congressional seats in the recent midterm elections, one emerging Democratic leader is looking to make the party more competitive in Mississippi.
Shuwaski Young, who fell to incumbent Congressman Michael Guest in the midterms, released a statement the morning after the elections, expressing his disappointment with the Democratic turnout.
“I am deeply disappointed with the Democratic turnout in this election. The Democratic Party of Mississippi has failed to show up for the values and policies that we proclaim are important to Democracy. We must meet people where they are as a collective party on one accord. Most importantly, we must invest and ensure our folks vote on Election Day,” a portion of Young’s statement reads.
My response to Election Day 2022. Bottom line: The Republican Party of Mississippi showed up and we did not.
Thank you to all everyone who supported our efforts. We love you and we’ll see you again soon. #MS03 pic.twitter.com/54Y79epxRb
— Shuwaski Young for Congress (@shuwaskiyoung) November 9, 2022
During a recent interview on MidDays with Gerard Gibert, Young expanded on his post-election statement, explaining that while he will not seek office in 2023, he does plan to be active in the remodeling of the state’s Democratic Party.
“The future aspirations right now are to maintain my status within the Democratic Party and to make sure that we’re moving forward in a way that’s going to help bring the party together,” Young said. “That’s going to be a lot of work. We’ve got a lot of changes to make at the state Democratic Party level, and I’m looking forward to working with folks on that particular issue.”
According to Young, one of the first moves that needs to be made within the party is the resignation of Democratic Chairman Tyree Irving.
“There are folks from the NAACP, from the House, and also on the Senate side, as well as volunteers and Democrats all over the state that want to see a change at the Democratic Party as far as Chairman Irving leaving,” Young said. “The party needs leadership. The folks are out there and want to do well in the state. It’s not about competing with Republicans. It’s about moving Mississippi forward together, and I want to help lead that effort.”
Since Irving took over as chairman in July 2020, both of the state’s U.S. Senate seats, three of the four U.S. House seats, and a majority of the Mississippi House and Senate have continued to be won by Republicans, and the results of the 2022 midterms showed no momentum for Democratic candidates in upcoming elections.
The full interview with Shuwaski Young can be watched below.
