https://www.wlbt.com/2020/02/25/eight-elected-officials-announce-party-switch-join-mississippi-republican-party/

By Courtney Ann Jackson | February 24, 2020 at 7:18 PM CST - Updated February 24 at 7:49 PM

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - The Mississippi Republican Party is welcoming some new members and all of them were elected public offices as Democrats or Independents in this most recent election cycle.

The Mississippi Republican Party Chairman says he doesn’t expect this will be the last time they are welcoming new members to the GOP.

“We have had a relentless focus on switching conservative Democrats over to the Republican party," explained MSGOP Chairman Lucien Smith. "They recognize increasingly that there is only one party that represents the conservative values of our state and that is the Republican party.”

All eight of the latest party switchers were from Smith and Covington Counties and one District Attorney whose district covers those areas. But the conservation didn’t take long to expand to the national party ties.

The eight officials who joined the MSGOP are:

Matt Sullivan, District Attorney for the Thirteenth Circuit Court District (Covington, Jasper, Simpson and Smith Counties), (Former Democrat)

Covington County

Guy Easterling, Chancery Clerk (Former Independent)

Bobby Wayne Mooney, Justice Court Judge for the Northern District of Covington County (Former Independent)

Smith County

Cindy Austin, Chancery Clerk (Former Democrat)

Anthony Grayson, Circuit Clerk (Former Democrat)

Mary Lou Powell, Tax Assessor-Collector (Former Democrat)

Danny Arender, Beat 4 Supervisor (Former Democrat)

Hulon West, Justice Court Judge for the Southern District of Smith County (Former Democrat)