Tag: Analytics

She is the wife of Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood, who's in his fourth term as the state's top legal officer. While her husband is a longtime prosecutor who's comfortable in front of big crowds, Debbie Hood is an intensely private person. Jim Hood has been sounding like a potential gubernatorial candidate for a long time, but like many politicians, he is skilled at evading direct questions about his plans. The answer appears to have the benefit of being true, but it also fuels speculation that keeps his name on people's minds and extends the drama leading up to an announcement. So, while Jim Hood was shaking hands outside the shotgun-style cabins on the fairgrounds Wednesday, an Associated Press reporter sat with Debbie Hood and asked if she is still praying. "That's where I am: If it's the Lord's will," she said, choosing her words in the careful manner of someone unaccustomed to being interviewed. Then, as now, Debbie Hood said she was hesitant about the stress of her husband running a statewide campaign, but said she prayed about it and concluded he would be able to help people by serving in higher office. They moved back up to a family farm in Chickasaw County in the middle of 2013, just as their son was starting 10th grade. If Jim Hood runs for governor — and he's very likely to — he would start as the presumed front-runner for the Democratic nomination. Hood is the only Democrat still holding statewide office in Mississippi, and Republicans have held the Governor's Mansion for six of the past seven terms.