Johnny DuPree facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Johnny DuPree
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DuPree in 2011
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| Mayor of Hattiesburg | |
| In office July 2001 – July 3, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | J. Ed Morgan |
| Succeeded by | Toby Barker |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 18, 1953 Fort Benning, Georgia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Johniece DuPree
(m. 1972) |
| Children | 2 daughters |
| Education | Jones County Junior College University of Southern Mississippi (BS, MS) Jackson State University (PhD) |
Johnny DuPree, born on November 18, 1953, is an American politician. He is a member of the Democratic Party. DuPree made history as the first African-American mayor of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He served in this role from 2001 to 2017.
In 2011, he was the Democratic Party's choice for Governor of Mississippi. This made him the first African-American from a major party to run for governor in Mississippi since the Reconstruction era. DuPree also ran for Secretary of State of Mississippi in 2019. More recently, he was a Democratic candidate for Congress in Mississippi's 4th congressional district in 2022.
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Early Life and Education
Johnny DuPree was born in Fort Benning, Georgia. When he was a young boy, he moved to Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He lived there with his mother, brother, and sister.
DuPree is a highly educated person. He earned both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. Later, he received a PhD from Jackson State University. He is also a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
Career in Public Service
DuPree began his work in public service in 1987. He was appointed to the Hattiesburg Public School Board. A year later, in 1988, he and his wife started their own small real estate business.
In 1991, he was elected to the Forrest County Board of Supervisors. He served on this board for 10 years. After that, he decided to run for mayor of Hattiesburg in 2001.
Mayor of Hattiesburg
In 2001, Johnny DuPree became the first African-American mayor of Hattiesburg. He won the election with 53% of the votes. People liked his leadership, and he was re-elected two more times, in 2005 and 2009.
During his first campaign for mayor, DuPree promised to improve education. He also wanted to protect and support small businesses in the city. An expert from the University of Southern Mississippi believed DuPree would help local businesses. He also thought DuPree would work to bring new industries to Hattiesburg.
Hattiesburg's Progress Under DuPree
Hattiesburg faced big challenges during DuPree's time as mayor. These included damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. There was also a worldwide economic downturn in 2008. Despite these difficulties, small businesses in Hattiesburg stayed strong.
The expert's predictions about DuPree's leadership were mostly correct. In 2010, Hattiesburg's unemployment rate was 8.6 percent. This was lower than the state rate of 11.2 percent and the national rate of 11.1 percent. Also, crime rates in Hattiesburg went down. The Hattiesburg Police Department reported a 10 percent decrease in overall crime since 2008.
Political Campaigns
Johnny DuPree ran in several important elections. These campaigns showed his dedication to public service.
2011 Mississippi Governor Race
In 2011, DuPree sought the Democratic nomination for Governor of Mississippi. He competed against businessman Bill Luckett and two other candidates. Even though he had less money for his campaign, DuPree won the primary election. He received 179,748 votes (43.6%) compared to Luckett's 161,833 votes (39.2%). However, DuPree lost to the Republican candidate, Phil Bryant, in the main election on November 8, 2011.
2013 Mayoral Re-election
In 2013, DuPree ran for his fourth term as mayor. He faced Dave Ware, a city councilman who ran as an independent. DuPree was initially thought to have won by a very small number of votes. However, there were some concerns about the election process.
A special judge was appointed to look into the case. After some legal steps, a new election was ordered. In this special election, DuPree again won against Ware, this time by 217 votes.
Later Elections
In 2017, DuPree ran for a fifth term as mayor. However, he was defeated by Toby Barker. Barker was a Republican member of the state House of Representatives who ran as an independent candidate.
In 2019, DuPree ran for Secretary of State of Mississippi. He won the Democratic nomination in August. But he lost the general election in November 2019 to Republican Michael Watson.
In 2021, DuPree announced he would run for Congress. He sought to represent Mississippi's 4th congressional district in the 2022 midterm elections. He lost this election to Mike Ezell.
Personal Life
Johnny DuPree has been married to his wife, Johniece, since 1972. They have two daughters named April and Monica. They also have two grandsons, Chandler DuPree Taylor and Chesney DuPree Taylor.
As of 2011, his older daughter, April DuPree Taylor, worked at the Department of Communication at the University of South Alabama. His younger daughter, Monica DuPree, was an educator in the Hattiesburg Public School District.
