Johnny DuPree (born November 18, 1953) is an American politician and member of the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
who served as the mayor of
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County (where it is the county seat and largest city) and extending west into Lamar County. The city population was 45,989 at the 2010 census, with the populat ...
from 2001 to 2017. He was the Democratic Party nominee for
Governor of Mississippi
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
major party nominee for Governor in Mississippi since the Reconstruction era.
DuPree won the Democratic nomination for Secretary of State of Mississippi in the August 2019 primary, but lost in the November 2019 general election.
DuPree was the Democrat candidate in Mississippi's 4th congressional district for the 2022 midterm elections.
Early life and education
Johnny DuPree was born in
Fort Benning, Georgia
Fort Benning is a United States Army post near Columbus, Georgia, adjacent to the Alabama–Georgia border. Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve component soldiers, retirees and civilian employees ...
. As a small boy, he moved to
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County (where it is the county seat and largest city) and extending west into Lamar County. The city population was 45,989 at the 2010 census, with the populat ...
, with his mother, brother, and sister.
DuPree has bachelors and Master's degrees from the
University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to a ...
, and a PhD from
Jackson State University
Jackson State University (Jackson State or JSU) is a public historically black research university in Jackson, Mississippi. It is one of the largest HBCUs in the United States and the fourth largest university in Mississippi in terms of stude ...
. He is a member of
Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. () is a historically African-American fraternity. The fraternity was founded on November 17, 1911, by three Howard University juniors Edgar Amos Love, Oscar James Cooper and Frank Coleman, and their faculty ad ...
fraternity.
Career
DuPree entered public service in 1987 when he was appointed to the Hattiesburg Public School Board. A year later, he and his wife established a small real estate business. In 1991, he was elected to the Forrest County Board of Supervisors, where he served for 10 years before running for mayor of Hattiesburg in 2001.
Mayor of Hattiesburg
In 2001, DuPree became the first African-American mayor of Hattiesburg, after winning 53% of the vote. He was re-elected in 2005 and 2009. During his first campaign for mayor, DuPree ran on a platform of shoring up education and protecting small business.Gillette, Becky. "Mayor-elect says small business economy's 'backbone'." Mississippi Business Journal 23, no. 27 (July 2, 2001): 16. At the time, Robert Ingram, the executive director of economic development at the
University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to a ...
, predicted that DuPree would support locally owned small business while also being active in industrial recruitment.
Despite damage to the city resulting from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and a global recession in 2008, the health of Hattiesburg's small businesses remained steady during DuPree's tenure as mayor. Ingram's predictions for Hattiesburg under the DuPree administration were largely accurate. In 2010, employment statistics showed Hattiesburg registering only 8.6 percent unemployment at a time when the rate in the state was 11.2 and the national rate was 11.1. Also during DuPree's tenure as mayor, annual crime statistics released by the Hattiesburg Police Department showed a 10 percent overall decrease in reported crime since 2008.
Response to Katrina
On the Sunday before Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, DuPree was invited to address the congregation of Mt Carmel Baptist Church, where he warned the congregation about the "devastation churning its way across the Gulf of Mexico."Adderton, Donald. "In Katrina's Aftermath, don't forget Mississippi" Herald News (September 6, 2006):d04 In the aftermath of the storm, the city lost power and water for several days.Conan, Neal, and Robert Smith. "Hurricane Katrina Coverage." NPR News Special Coverage 3:00 AM EST NPR. NPR, 9 3, 2005. Due to the lack of a response from the
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exe ...
(FEMA), the city under DuPree resorted to leasing essential equipment and goods on its own, items such as generators, which would normally be available through federal and state emergency services.
Because of Hattiesburg's position as a regional hub and as the first major metropolitan area outside of
In the weeks following Katrina, DuPree was a vocal critic of FEMA's inept performance and perceived indifference. Although the federal response to the Katrina disaster resulted in many high-profile accusations of racism, DuPree was among those who emphasized the role of income disparity. He also stated that "those charged with providing to those in need simply failed when called upon."
Elections
In the Democratic primary of the
2011 Mississippi gubernatorial election
The 2011 Mississippi gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2011. Incumbent Republican Governor of Mississippi Haley Barbour was unable to run for a third term due to term limits.
Republican nominee Lieutenant Governor Phil Bryant ...
, DuPree faced businessman and future Clarksdale mayor Bill Luckett and two minor candidates. Despite a significant fundraising disadvantage, on August 23, 2011, DuPree defeated Luckett by 179,748 votes (43.6%) to 161,833 (39.2%). He lost to Republican nominee
Phil Bryant
Dewey Phillip Bryant (born December 9, 1954) is an American politician who served as the 64th governor of Mississippi from 2012 to 2020. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 31st lieutenant governor of Mississippi from 2008 to 2012 and 4 ...
in the general election on November 8, 2011.
In his 2013 mayoral re-election bid, DuPree faced fourth ward councilman Dave Ware, a Republican who ran as an
independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independe ...
, along with three minor candidates. In the June 4 election, DuPree was believed to be the winner by 37 votes out of over 9,600 cast, but concerns were raised about possible voter fraud, eligibility of some voters, and the fact that the city clerk left ballots unsecured in city hall the night before the election. Ware filed an election challenge on June 24, and a special judge was appointed by the
state Supreme Court
In the United States, a state supreme court (known by other names in some states) is the highest court in the state judiciary of a U.S. state. On matters of state law, the judgment of a state supreme court is considered final and binding i ...
to hear the case. The jury initially found in favor of Ware in a 9-3 vote, the bare minimum for a verdict, however after Judge William Coleman polled the jurors, the count shifted to 8-4 and a mistrial was declared.
After a new election was ordered, another dispute arose over choosing replacements for two election commissioners who resigned. Ultimately, a clean slate of commissioners was chosen to oversee the special election. On election day, one precinct's ballot box was returned unsealed and, despite state law stating boxes must be locked and sealed at the precinct, the ballots were counted anyway. In the end, DuPree again narrowly bested Ware, this time by a margin of 217 votes.
In 2017, DuPree was defeated in a bid for a fifth consecutive term as mayor, losing to Toby Barker, a Republican member of the state House of Representatives, who ran as an independent.
In 2019, DuPree ran for
Secretary of State of Mississippi
The Mississippi Secretary of State is an officer of Mississippi originally established under the Article IV, §14 of Mississippi Constitution of 1817, and was reestablished under Article V, §133 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890.
Several ...
and won the Democrat nomination in August. He lost the November 2019 general election to Republican candidate
Michael Watson
Michael Watson (born 15 March 1965) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1984 to 1991. He held the Commonwealth middleweight title from 1989 to 1991, and challenged three times for a world title between 1990 and 1991. Wat ...
Mike Ezell
Walter Michael Ezell (born April 6, 1959) is an American law enforcement officer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2023.
Early life and education
Ezell was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi. His father, S.H. "Buck" E ...
DuPree has been married to Johniece since 1972. They have two daughters, April and Monica and two grandsons, Chandler DuPree Taylor and Chesney DuPree Taylor. As of 2011, his older daughter, April DuPree Taylor (Coustaur Taylor), worked at the Department of Communication at the
University of South Alabama
The University of South Alabama (USA) is a public research university in Mobile, Alabama. It was created by the Alabama Legislature in May, 1963, and replaced existing extension programs operated in Mobile by the University of Alabama. The first ...
, and his younger daughter, Monica DuPree, was an educator in the Hattiesburg Public School District.