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{{Short description|American politician (born 1962)}}
{{For|the British Member of Parliament|Jimmy Hood}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Jim Hood
| image = Jim Hood 2014 (cropped).jpg
| office = 39th [[Attorney General of Mississippi]]
| governor = [[Haley Barbour]]<br>[[Phil Bryant]]
| term_start = January 8, 2004
| term_end =  January 14, 2020
| predecessor = [[Mike Moore (American politician)|Mike Moore]]
| successor = [[Lynn Fitch]]
| birth_name = James Matthew Hood
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1962|5|15}}
| birth_place = [[New Houlka, Mississippi]], U.S.
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| spouse = Debra Hood
| children = 3
| education = [[University of Mississippi]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]], [[Juris Doctor|JD]])
}}
'''James Matthew Hood''' (born May 15, 1962) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 39th [[Attorney General of Mississippi|attorney general of Mississippi]] from 2004 to 2020.

Hood was first elected Attorney General in 2003, defeating [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Scott Newton. A former [[district attorney]], Hood succeeded fellow Democrat [[Mike Moore (Mississippi politician)|Mike Moore]]. Hood announced on October 3, 2018, that he would run for [[List of governors of Mississippi|Governor of Mississippi]] in 2019; he easily won the Democratic primary on August 6, 2019 but lost the [[2019 Mississippi gubernatorial election|general election]] to then-[[Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi|Lieutenant Governor]] [[Tate Reeves]] on November 5, 2019, which was Hood's first statewide loss. No Democrat has won a statewide election in Mississippi since Hood won his final term as Attorney General in 2015. He is the last Democrat to hold statewide office in Mississippi, and from 2008 to 2020 was the only one to do so.

Since leaving office, Hood has joined the national law firm Weisbrod Matteis & Copley, establishing the firm's first Mississippi-based office in [[Houston, Mississippi]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Former AG Jim Hood joins national law firm, will work from Houston
|url=https://mississippitoday.org/2020/03/26/former-ag-jim-hood-joins-national-law-firm-will-work-from-houston/|website=Mississippi Today|date=March 26, 2020 |access-date=August 22, 2021}}</ref> He also sits on the bipartisan advisory board of States United Democracy Center.<ref>{{Cite web |title=JIM HOOD |url=https://statesuniteddemocracy.org/people/jim-hood/ |access-date=2022-08-17 |website=States United Democracy Center |language=en}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Hood is the son of James Hood, Jr.<ref>{{cite web|title=Houston, we have a problem – taxpayers spending over $100,000 for hometown office perk for AG Jim Hood|url=https://yallpolitics.com/2019/02/28/houston-we-have-a-problem-taxpayers-spending-over-100000-for-hometown-office-perk-for-ag-jim-hood/|website=Y'all Politics|access-date=March 4, 2019|archive-date=April 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407022244/https://yallpolitics.com/2019/02/28/houston-we-have-a-problem-taxpayers-spending-over-100000-for-hometown-office-perk-for-ag-jim-hood/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Hood is a native of [[New Houlka, Mississippi|New Houlka]] in [[Chickasaw County, Mississippi|Chickasaw County]] in northeastern Mississippi.

In 1988, Hood received his [[Juris Doctor|J.D.]] degree from the [[University of Mississippi]] at [[Oxford, Mississippi|Oxford]]. As an undergraduate, he was a member of [[Pi Kappa Alpha]].

==Attorney General==
Hood was sworn-in as attorney general on January 8, 2004.<ref>{{cite news| last = Byrd| first = Shelia Hardwell| title = Tuck, other statewide officials take oaths| newspaper = The Sun Herald| agency = Associated Press| page = A9| date = January 9, 2004| url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118862489/sun-herald/}}</ref>

In 2004, Hood prosecuted Jeremy Martin, a teacher from Tupelo, Mississippi and unsuccessful Republican candidate for the Mississippi House of Representatives, who was accused of a misdemeanor campaign finance violation. John Helmert, Hood's opposing counsel, called the prosecution of Martin a "political witch hunt". According to the [[Sun Herald]], "it is rare for the state's attorney general to prosecute alleged [[campaign finance laws|campaign finance violations]]."<ref>{{cite web|title=Teacher pleads innocent to violating campaign finance law|url=http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/politics/9143650.htm|date=July 13, 2004|access-date=June 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050417030529/http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/politics/9143650.htm|archive-date=April 17, 2005|url-status=dead}}</ref> The case was dismissed after the defendant paid a $300 fine.<ref>{{cite court |litigants=MS v. Martin |vol=550 |pinpoint=276 |court=MS Cir. |date=2005 |accessdate=July 3, 2019 |quote=...cause is hereby Remanded to the File.}}</ref>

In 2005, Hood prosecuted former [[Ku Klux Klan|Klansman]] [[Edgar Ray Killen]] for orchestrating the 1964 murders of [[Andrew Goodman (activist)|Andrew Goodman]], [[Michael Schwerner]], and [[James Chaney]] in [[Philadelphia, Mississippi]] during [[Freedom Summer]].

[[File:James Hood.jpg|thumb|left|Jim Hood speaking at a Department of Justice event.]]
Hood has been active in the legal aspects of the recovery of Mississippi after [[Hurricane Katrina]].  Shortly after Katrina, Hood partnered with Mississippi plaintiff attorney [[Richard Scruggs|Richard "Dickie" Scruggs]], a brother-in-law of former [[U.S. Senator|U.S. senator]] [[Trent Lott]], in filing suit against numerous high-profile insurance companies. Hood's leadership has been praised by some as allowing homeowners a better opportunity for recovery than they experienced in neighboring [[Louisiana]],<ref>{{cite news| author=Rebecca Mowbray and Mary Judice| title=Lawsuit in Miss. stands in contrast to La.; Neighboring state goes after insurers|work=Times-Picayune (New Orleans)| date=January 30, 2007}}</ref> but Scruggs and Hood have also been criticized for over-zealously prosecuting insurance companies and because Scruggs helped convey confidential documents, which Hood used in a criminal probe, supposedly to pressure [[State Farm Insurance]] into settlement.<ref>{{cite news| title=Mississippi Justice |work=Wall Street Journal| date=March 15, 2007}}</ref> Hood was reelected on November 6, 2007 and again for a third term on November 8, 2011. On November 3, 2015, Hood was [[2015 Mississippi Attorney General election|reelected]] to a fourth term.

In 2008, Judge [[William Acker]] criticized Hood in a judicial opinion for his role in helping Scruggs commit [[civil contempt]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-06-06-katrina-contempt_N.htm|title=Judge: Miss. attorney general conspired with Scruggs|agency=Associated Press|date=June 6, 2008|work=USA Today|access-date=March 7, 2009}}</ref> Scruggs was later convicted in federal court of crimes committed during the post-Katrina litigation.<ref>{{cite news|title=Scruggs gets 5 years in prison in bribery scheme|url=https://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2008-06-26-1173659843_x.htm|access-date=May 26, 2011|newspaper=USA Today|first=Holbrook|last=Mohr|date=June 27, 2008}}</ref> The saga is recounted in the 2009 book, ''Kings of Tort''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Lange|first=Alan|title=Kings of Tort|publisher=Pediment Publishing|year=2009|pages=255|isbn=978-1-59725-244-7|display-authors=etal}}</ref>

As a prosecutor, Hood has tried more than 100 jury cases while serving as assistant state attorney general and as [[Chickasaw County, Mississippi|Chickasaw County]] [[District Attorney|district attorney]] (D.A.). He has successfully prosecuted several historic cases, including winning the conviction of Killen. As D.A., he successfully prosecuted death penalty cases, including one in which he originally won a conviction, and later, as Attorney General (A.G.), argued and won an appeal of the case before the United States Supreme Court. As A.G., Hood established a [[vulnerable adults]] unit, a [[domestic violence]] unit, an [[identity theft]] unit, and a crime prevention and victims services division. He has launched initiatives to prevent [[workplace violence|workplace]] and [[school violence]], and [[stalking]] and domestic assault. Hood has developed and distributed numerous publications to assist and educate both consumers and other public service entities in areas such as [[cyber crime]], [[consumer protection]], domestic violence, victims' assistance, election, and government law.<ref>{{cite web|title=About Jim Hood|url=http://jimhood.org/about-jim-hood/|website=jimhood.org|access-date=19 July 2016|archive-date=September 20, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920014627/http://jimhood.org/about-jim-hood/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Forensics===
Hood has been criticized for his support for the controversial bite mark technique<ref>{{Cite news |title=Opinion {{!}} Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood defends discredited forensic experts, harasses defense attorneys instead |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2016/08/25/mississippi-attorney-general-jim-hood-defends-discredited-forensic-experts-harasses-defense-attorneys-instead/ |access-date=2023-05-03 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-08-29 |title='Expert' Witness Scandal May Affect Mississippi Attorney General's Race |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/steven-hayne-michael-west-forensic-scandal_b_940767 |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2016-05-18 |title=Advances of science affects some convictions – so far bitemarks aren't included |url=https://csidds.com/2016/05/18/advances-of-science-affects-some-convictions-so-far-bitemarks-arent-included/ |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=FORENSICS and LAW in FOCUS @ CSIDDS {{!}} News and Trends |language=en}}</ref> and more generally for his opposition to reform of the Mississippi death investigation system and critical evaluation of questionable forensic techniques.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Balko |first=Radley |date=2008-02-20 |title=The Bite-Marks Men |language=en-US |work=Slate |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2008/02/mississippi-s-criminal-forensics-disaster.html |access-date=2023-05-03 |issn=1091-2339}}</ref>

===Pardons===
On his last day as governor in 2012, [[Haley Barbour]] granted 208 pardons, clemency or early release for people convicted of crimes including murder, rape and armed robbery. Barbour's actions included 19 people convicted of murder.<ref>Ward, Robbie (January 10, 2012). [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pardons-mississippi-barbour-idUSTRE80A0A220120111 "Mississippi's Barbour surprises with raft of pardons"]. Reuters.</ref> Pardons by governors are not uncommon; the issue in this case is the number of pardons compared to former governors. Gov. [[Ronnie Musgrove]], whom Barbour succeeded as governor, issued only one pardon, for a man convicted of marijuana possession; Gov. [[Kirk Fordice]], who preceded Musgrove, issued two full pardons for convicted murderers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slatest.slate.com/posts/2012/01/11/mississippi_gov_haley_barbour_pardons_murders_brett_favre_s_brother_earnest_scott.html |title=Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour Pardons Murderers, Brett Favre's brother, Earnest Scott |access-date=2012-01-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112073951/http://slatest.slate.com/posts/2012/01/11/mississippi_gov_haley_barbour_pardons_murders_brett_favre_s_brother_earnest_scott.html |archive-date=January 12, 2012 }}</ref>
In his role as attorney general, Hood argued Section 124 of the [[Mississippi Constitution]] says any inmate seeking a pardon must publish their intentions 30 days in a newspaper in or near the county where the person was convicted and on January 11, a Mississippi judge temporarily blocked the release of the 21 inmates who had been given pardons or medical release.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mississippi judge blocks release of 21 inmates given pardons by Governor Barbour|url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/mississippi-judge-blocks-release-of-21-inmates-given-pardons-by-gov-barbour|access-date=January 12, 2012|publisher=Fox News|date=January 11, 2012|agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

=== Notable lawsuits ===

==== 2017 Hurricane Katrina insurance lawsuits ====
In May 2017, twelve years after [[Hurricane Katrina]], Hood filed lawsuits against [[Liberty Mutual|Liberty Mutual Insurance]] and [[Safeco|Safeco Insurance]] claiming that the companies failed to make adequate payments for the victims of Katrina.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://legalnewsline.com/stories/511117773-mississippi-attorney-general-alleges-insurance-companies-cost-state-millions-for-katrina-payments|title=Mississippi attorney general alleges insurance companies cost state millions for Katrina payments|last=Sammon|first=John|date=2017-05-26|work=Legal NewsLine|access-date=2017-06-01|language=en}}</ref>

Hurricane Katrina occurred in August 2005 and caused $125 billion in property damage within Mississippi.<ref name=":0"/>

The lawsuits claim that the insurance companies "undervalued claims for Katrina winded damages to minimize payments and to foist the financial burden onto the state when adjusting homeowners' insurance claims in the wake of the hurricane." Part of the complaint read, "Liberty Mutual essentially converted a program designed to help Mississippians recovering from Katrina into a subsidy for itself."<ref name=":0"/>

==== Pharmaceutical companies ====
In 2017, Hood filed lawsuits against a number of pharmaceutical companies. In the lawsuits, Hood alleged that the companies were engaging in an unlawful scheme to "force the state to pay for drugs that were not eligible for [[Medicaid]] reimbursement." Overall, Hood filed six separate lawsuits against the 18 defendant companies.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=http://legalnewsline.com/stories/511109173-miss-ag-with-the-help-of-outside-attorneys-sues-pharma-companies-over-allegedly-unapproved-drugs|title=Miss. AG, with the help of outside attorneys, sues pharma companies over allegedly unapproved drugs|last=Karmasek|first=Jessica|date=2017-05-02|work=Legal NewsLine|access-date=2017-06-01|language=en}}</ref>

Among other things, the lawsuits claimed that the companies made the state of Mississippi pay for drugs that had not received approval by the FDA. According to ''Legal NewsLine'', "Hood contends the companies' scheme involves false representations, made by the defendants to the state, that their [[National Drug Code]]s, or NDCs, are FDA approved and eligible for Medicaid reimbursement."<ref name=":1" />

Hood said that the allegedly fraudulent marketing of drugs by the defendant companies resulted in an increased market share and profits for the companies while "essentially leaving the state in a lurch."<ref name=":1" />

====Department of Corrections corruption====
On February 8, 2017, Hood announced he had filed civil cases against numerous corporations and individuals who had allegedly engaged in corrupt contracts with the [[Mississippi Department of Corrections]] and its former commissioner [[Chris Epps]], seeking damages and punitive damages. He stated, "The state of Mississippi has been defrauded through a pattern of bribery, kickbacks, misrepresentations, fraud, concealment, money laundering and other wrongful conduct." He continued, "These individuals and corporations that benefited by stealing from taxpayers must not only pay the state's losses, but state law requires that they must also forfeit and return the entire amount of the contracts paid by the state. We are also seeking punitive damages to punish these conspirators and to deter those who might consider giving or receiving kickbacks in the future." Besides Teresa Malone and Carl Reddix, who had been indicted by the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, the civil case defendants included previously uncharged Michael Reddix; Utah's [[Management & Training Corporation]]; Florida's [[GEO Group]], Inc.; [[Cornell Companies]], Inc.; [[Wexford Health Sources]], Inc.; Drug Testing Corporation; [[Global Tel*Link]] Corporation and [[Sentinel Offender Services]], L.L.C. and others.<ref>[http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2017/02/08/epps-bribery-civil-lawsuit/97645586/ Mississippi AG files lawsuits in Epps bribery case], ''[[The Clarion-Ledger]]'', Jimmie E. Gates, February 8, 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2017.</ref> As he left office, Hood published a list of enumerated recoveries of $26,612,188.22 from complicit corporations.<ref name=recoveries>[http://www.ago.state.ms.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/ HOOD RECOVERS $26.6 MILLION, SETTLES FINAL EPPS BRIBERY CASE]{{Dead link|date=March 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, ''[[Mississippi Attorney General]]'', January 24, 2019. Retrieved December 7, 2020.</ref>
The settlement amounts paid by these government contractors and the nature of services they provided were as follows:
(1) Management & Training Corporation $5.18 million For-profit operator of correctional facilities
(2) Cornell Companies, Inc. (GEO Group) $4.55 million For-profit operator of correctional facilities
(3) Wexford Health Sources, Inc. $4.00 million Correctional health care provider
(4) Keefe Commissary Network, LLC $3.10 million Commissary management services
(5) C. N. W. Construction Company $3.10 million Construction
(6) Global Tel*Link Corporation $2.50 million Inmate telephone communications
(7) Branan Medical Corporation $2.00 million “Drugs-of-abuse” testing products
(8) Sentinel Offender Services, LLC $1.30 million Offender tracking and monitoring provider
(9) CGL Facility Management, LLC $750,000.00 Correctional maintenance services
(10) AdminPros, LLC $32,188.22 Medicaid eligibility services
(11) Guy E. “Butch” Evans $100,000.00 Insurance
(12) Health Assurance, LLC ($0 due to bankruptcy) Correctional health care provider.<ref name=recoveries/>

==Google investigation==
[[File:Jim Hood (558235344).jpg|thumb|200px|right|Jim Hood in 2007.]]
Working with the National Association of Attorneys General and entertainment lobby groups,<ref name="NYT Letter">{{cite news|title=Letter to Google From Mississippi's Attorney General| work=The New York Times | date=December 16, 2014 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/12/16/technology/attorney-general-letter-to-google.html?_r=0|access-date=February 2, 2015}}</ref> Hood has been pushing Google since 2013 to prevent use of the company's search engine to find drugs that require a prescription and copyright infringing content.<ref name="insurancejournal.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2015/01/22/354791.htm |title = Mississippi Attorney General Asks Court to Dismiss Google Suit| date=January 22, 2015 }}</ref> In December 2014, Google sued Hood in federal court, seeking to block a 79-page [[Subpoena duces tecum|subpoena]] from the attorney general for violating First and Fourth Amendments rights.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.cnet.com/news/google-files-lawsuit-against-mississippi-attorney-general-to-block-subpoena/|title = Google files lawsuit against Mississippi attorney general to block subpoena|publisher = CNET}}</ref> The attorney general filed a motion to dismiss Google's motion on January 12, 2015. Both parties later agreed to freeze their motions and not enforce the subpoena until March 6, 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/17/miss-attorney-general-asks-court-to-dismiss-google/?page=all|title = Miss. attorney general asks court to dismiss Google's suit|publisher = Washington Times.}}</ref> A U.S. district judge granted Google's request for a preliminary injunction on March 2, 2015 putting on hold the pending subpoena<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://torrentfreak.com/google-mpaa-censorship-150303/|title = GOOGLE SLAMS MPAA CENSORSHIP EFFORTS AFTER COURT 'VICTORY'|publisher = Torrent Freak}}</ref> and ordering Attorney General Hood to hand over information requested by Google.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://torrentfreak.com/court-google-can-see-emails-about-mpaas-secret-sopa-revival-150421/|title = Court: Google Can See Emails About MPAA's Secret 'SOPA Revival'|date = April 21, 2015|publisher = torrentfreak.com}}</ref> An appeals court has overturned the preliminary injunction on procedural grounds and allowed the subpoena, though it also criticized the broad nature Hood's original subpoena and the lack of any specific associated investigation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/04/appeals-court-google-will-have-to-deal-with-mississippi-ag-investigation/|title=Appeals court: Google will have to deal with Mississippi AG investigation|website=Ars Technica|date=April 11, 2016 |access-date=2016-04-11}}</ref> In July 2016, Google and Hood agreed to dismiss their respective lawsuits and subpoenas.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Mullin|first1=Joe|title=Google ends spat with Mississippi AG over his MPAA-tinged investigation|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/07/google-ends-spat-with-mississippi-ag-over-his-mpaa-tinged-investigation/|access-date=14 July 2016|publisher=Ars Technica|date=14 July 2016}}</ref> The Attorney General and Google agreed to "endeavor to collaborate in addressing the harmful consequences of unlawful and/or dangerous online content".

On December 19, 2014, as a result of the [[Sony Pictures Entertainment hack]], emails were released that showed that Hood was urged by the [[Motion Picture Association of America]] (MPAA) to blame [[Google]] for acts of copyright infringement committed by numerous, multiple unrelated third parties<ref>{{cite news|title=Sued by Google, a state attorney general retreats|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/20/technology/google-attorney-general-jim-hood-lawsuit.html|access-date=December 20, 2014|work=New York Times|date=December 19, 2014}}</ref> via the trade organisations the [[Digital Citizens Alliance]] and [[FairSearch]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Wingfield|first1=Nick|title=Google's Detractors Take Their Fight to the States|work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/17/technology/googles-critics-enlist-state-attorneys-general-in-their-fight.html?_r=1|access-date=January 1, 2015|date=December 16, 2014}}</ref> The released emails also showed that threatening communications from Hood's office to Google were written by MPAA counsel.<ref>{{cite news|title=Google sues Mississippi Attorney General 'for doing MPAA's dirty work'|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/12/20/google_mpaa_mississippi/|access-date=December 20, 2014|publisher=The Register|date=December 20, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = MPAA Emails Expose Dirty Media Attack Against Google - TorrentFreak|url = https://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-emails-expose-dirty-media-attack-against-google-150727/|access-date = 2015-07-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|title = New Court Evidence Reveals Hollywood's Plan to Smear Google| magazine=Wired |url = https://www.wired.com/2015/07/new-court-evidence-reveals-hollywoods-plans-smear-google/|access-date = 2015-07-28 | last1=Alba | first1=Davey }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = New MPAA e-mail showcases anti-Google attack plan| date=July 27, 2015 |url = http://arstechnica.co.uk/tech-policy/2015/07/new-mpaa-mississippi-e-mail-showcases-anti-google-media-attack-plan/|access-date = 2015-07-28}}</ref>

The subject sued Google for education privacy violations in 2017 and joined other Attorneys General investigating Facebook's policies on user privacy by sending a [[Legal hold|letter to preserve information that might be legal evidence in a future lawsuit.]]<ref>Jeff Amy. AP reporter. (17 January 2017). "Mississippi sues Google, saying it violates student privacy". [https://news.yahoo.com/mississippi-sues-google-saying-violates-student-privacy-222930025.html Yahoo News website] Retrieved 25 November 2021.</ref><ref>Harold Gater. (26 March 2018). "Mississippi attorney general investigating Facebook user privacy practices". [https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2018/03/26/mississippi-attorney-general-investigating-facebook-user-privacy-practices/459678002/ Clarion Ledger website] Retrieved 25 November 2021.</ref>

==2019 gubernatorial campaign==
On October 3, 2018, Hood announced that he would be a candidate for [[Governor of Mississippi]] in [[2019 Mississippi gubernatorial election|2019]]. According to the ''Jackson Free Press'', Hood, "known for his conservative positions on criminal justice... laid out a progressive policy agenda on taxes, health care, education and infrastructure" when he announced his candidacy.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2018/oct/04/hood-announces-run-jesus-taught-us-fight-poor/|title=Hood Announces Run: 'Jesus Taught Us to Fight for the Poor'|last=Pittman|first=Ashton|website=jacksonfreepress.com|language=en|access-date=2019-01-21}}</ref> Hood campaigned as a moderate Democrat according to an ''[[NPR]]'' reporter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/11/01/775305580/mississippi-governor-election-preview|title=Mississippi Governor Election Preview|website=NPR.org|language=en|access-date=2019-11-02}}</ref> Mississippi's ''[[The Clarion-Ledger|The Clarion Ledger]]'' reported that "Hood portrays himself" as a [[moderate]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2019/07/31/mississippi-election-where-jim-hood-stands-key-issues/1511141001/|title=Mississippi election 2019: Where governor candidate Jim Hood stands on key issues|last=Ramseth|first=Luke|website=The Clarion Ledger|language=en|access-date=2019-11-02}}</ref>

In announcing his candidacy, Hood called for Medicaid expansion, tuition-free community college, universal pre-school, and criticized corporate tax cuts implemented by Mississippi's Republican-controlled legislature.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/09494ccc2e6f4882af6331a6a299f1e9|title=Dem running for Mississippi governor: Help 'least among us'|last=Pettus|first=Emily Wagster|date=2018-10-04|website=AP NEWS|access-date=2019-01-21}}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2019/01/14/mississippi-medicaid-expansion-where-do-politicians-stand/2538045002/|title=Where do Mississippi politicians stand on Medicaid expansion?|website=The Clarion Ledger|language=en|access-date=2019-01-21}}</ref> According to Hood, the decision by Republicans not to accept Medicaid expansion had contributed to the closure of rural hospitals in Mississippi.<ref name=":2" /> He has also campaigned based on what he describes as his [[Anti-abortion movement|anti-abortion]] views and has highlighted his gun ownership.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/10/republican-remains-favored-in-surprisingly-competitive-mississippi-governors-race/|title=Republican Remains Favored in 'Surprisingly Competitive' Mississippi Governor's Race|date=2019-10-23|website=National Review|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-02}}</ref> Explaining his [[anti-abortion]] position, he referred to his work defending Mississippi's ban, known as a "heartbeat" bill, on abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mississippitoday.org/2019/05/22/jim-hood-a-self-styled-pro-life-democrat-draws-rebuke-from-the-right-and-the-left-on-abortion/|title=Jim Hood, a self-styled pro-life Democrat, draws rebuke from the right and the left on abortion|last1=Ganucheau|first1=Adam|date=2019-05-22|website=Mississippi Today|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-02}}</ref>

Hood won the Democratic primary with 68.78% of the vote.<ref>[https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2019/08/06/mississippi-election-results-governor-secretary-state-attorney-general-statewide-legislature-county/1935744001/ Election results for 2019 Mississippi primary races], ''[[Clarion Ledger]]'', August 6, 2019. Retrieved August 8, 2019.</ref> He lost the general election to Republican nominee [[Tate Reeves]], the incumbent [[Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi|lieutenant governor]].<ref name = 2019Results/> Reeves defeated Hood in the general election by a margin of 5.1%, making it the nearest a Democrat had come to winning a Mississippi gubernatorial election since 1999. Hood had managed the strongest performance by a Democrat since the [[2003 Mississippi gubernatorial election]], when then-incumbent governor [[Ronnie Musgrove]] took 45.81% of the vote as he lost reelection.

== Electoral history ==
{{Election box begin no change | title=2003 Mississippi Attorney General election{{Sfn|Mississippi Official and Statistical Register|2005|p=618-619}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|
 |party = Democratic Party (United States)
 |candidate = Jim Hood
 |votes = 548,046
 |percentage = 62.69%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|
 |party = Republican Party (United States)
 |candidate = Scott Newton
 |votes = 326,042
 |percentage = 37.30%
}}
{{Election box total no change|votes=874,088|percentage=100.00%}}
{{Election box hold with party link no swing|winner=Mississippi Democratic Party}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change | title=2007 Mississippi Attorney General election{{sfn|Mississippi Official and Statistical Register|2009|p=624}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|
 |party = Democratic Party (United States)
 |candidate = Jim Hood (incumbent)
 |votes = 439,668
 |percentage = 59.8%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|
 |party = Republican Party (United States)
 |candidate = Al Hopkins
 |votes = 295,791
 |percentage = 40.2%
}}
{{Election box total no change|votes=735459|percentage=100.0%}}
{{Election box hold with party link no swing|winner=Mississippi Democratic Party}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change|title=2011 Mississippi Attorney General election<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hosemann |first=C. Delbert |date=December 8, 2011 |title=Mississippi Secretary of State Official Tabulation of Vote for State Office of Attorney General |url=https://www.sos.ms.gov/links/elections/results/statewide/Atty%20General_Statewide%20-%20General%20Election%202011%20Results.pdf |access-date=January 21, 2023}}</ref>}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|candidate=Jim Hood (incumbent)|party=Mississippi Democratic Party|votes=536,827|percentage=61.08%}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|candidate=Steve Simpson|party=Mississippi Republican Party|votes=342,086|percentage=38.92%}}
{{Election box total no change|votes=878,913|percentage=100.00%}}
{{Election box hold with party link no swing|winner=Mississippi Democratic Party}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change
| title = 2015 Mississippi Attorney General election<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sos.ms.gov/Elections-Voting/Pages/2015-General-Election.aspx|title=2015 General Election|publisher=[[Mississippi Secretary of State]]|access-date=September 2, 2019|archive-date=February 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225024946/https://www.sos.ms.gov/Elections-Voting/Pages/2015-General-Election.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Jim Hood (incumbent)
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 395,969 
| percentage = 55.29%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = [[D. Michael Hurst Jr.|Mike Hurst]]
| party = Republican  Party (United States)
| votes = 320,192 
| percentage = 44.71%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes      = 716,161
| percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box hold with party link without swing
  |winner     = Democratic Party (United States)
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin|
| title = 2019 Mississippi gubernatorial election<ref name = 2019Results>{{cite web|url=https://data.clarionledger.com/mississippi-general-election-results-2019/ |title=Mississippi General Election Results 2019 |publisher=ClarionLedger.com |date=2019-11-05 |access-date=2019-11-06}}</ref>
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link 
| candidate = [[Tate Reeves]]
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 459,396 
| percentage = 51.91%
| change = -14.47
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|candidate=Jim Hood|party=Democratic Party (United States)|votes=414,368|percentage=46.83%|change=+14.58%}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|candidate=David Singletary|party=Independent (United States)|votes=8,522|percentage=0.96%|change=N/A}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|candidate=Bob Hickingbottom|party=Constitution Party (United States)|votes=2,625|percentage=0.30%|change=N/A}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 884,911
| percentage = 100%
| change = N/A
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no swing
  |winner     = Republican Party (United States)
}}
{{Election box end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==Sources==
* {{Cite book |ref={{harvid|Mississippi Official and Statistical Register|2005}} |title=Mississippi Official and Statistical Register 2004–2008 |publisher=Mississippi Secretary of State |year=2005 |location=Jackson}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://naacpms.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/2008-2012-Blue-Book-Web.pdf |title=Mississippi Official and Statistical Register 2008–2012 |publisher=Mississippi Secretary of State |year=2009 |location=Jackson |ref={{harvid|Mississippi Official and Statistical Register|2009}}}}

==External links==
*[http://www.ago.state.ms.us/about/ Official site]
*[http://jimhood.org/ Campaign site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151022110128/http://jimhood.org/ |date=October 22, 2015 }}
*[http://www.naag.org/naag/attorneys-general/whos-my-ag/mississippi/jim-hood.php NAAG bio]
*[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB117392424758037698 Suit against Insurance Cos.]

{{s-start}}
{{s-legal}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Mike Moore (U.S. politician)|Mike Moore]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Mississippi Attorney General|Attorney General of Mississippi]]|years=2004–2020}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Lynn Fitch]]}}
|-
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Mike Moore (U.S. politician)|Mike Moore]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[Attorney General of Mississippi]]|years= [[2003 Mississippi elections#Attorney general|2003]], [[2007 Mississippi elections#Attorney general|2007]], [[2011 Mississippi elections#Attorney General|2011]], [[2015 Mississippi Attorney General election|2015]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Jennifer Riley Collins]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=Robert Gray}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[List of Governors of Mississippi|Governor of Mississippi]]|years=[[2019 Mississippi gubernatorial election|2019]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Brandon Presley]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hood, Jim}}
[[Category:1962 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Mississippi attorneys general]]
[[Category:Mississippi Democrats]]
[[Category:Mississippi lawyers]]
[[Category:University of Mississippi alumni]]
[[Category:University of Mississippi School of Law alumni]]
[[Category:People from Chickasaw County, Mississippi]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 2019 United States elections]]