# James Nunnally (politician)

James David Nunnally (January 15, 1945 – January 6, 2025) was an American politician from the state of Mississippi. He served as a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1972 to 1988.

## Life and career

Nunnally was born in Dumas, Mississippi, on January 15, 1945, the son of James Bartlett and Virginia Joyce (née Anderson) Nunnally. He attended Northeast Mississippi Junior College and then the University of Mississippi, where he earned bachelor's and master's degrees in education, and he became a public school teacher.
He narrowly defeated incumbent representative Leland J. Grisham in the 1971 Democratic primary runoff. He went on to represent Northeast Mississippi in the Mississippi House of Representatives for sixteen years. In March 1987, the Supreme Court of Mississippi ruled that Nunnally, along with several other state legislators and public officials, had committed conflict of interest ethics violations by working as public school teachers while holding public office. Though he said he would end his public teaching career to continue as a state legislator, Nunnally lost the primary runoff that fall to Joe Mitch McElwain.
In 2011, he fell short in an attempt at returning to the state house seat he previously held. He took 49.6% in the first round of the Democratic primary, then lost 48%-52% to Jody Steverson, who would become a Republican after being re-elected in 2015. Nunnally died in Ripley, Mississippi on January 6, 2025, at the age of 79.

## Electoral history
### 1971
#### Primary election

Mississippi House of Representatives, District 1, Post 2, 1971 primary election * denotes incumbent     Source: :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | James Nunnally | | |
| | Democratic | Leland J. Grisham * | | |
| | Democratic | Charles Don Wilson | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | | |
| Runoff election |||||
| | Democratic | James Nunnally | 5,706 | 51.9 |
| | Democratic | Leland J. Grisham * | 5,290 | 48.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 10,996 | 100 |

#### General election

Mississippi House of Representatives, District 1, Post 2, 1971 general election * denotes incumbent     Source: :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | James Nunnally | 4,642 | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 4,642 | 100 |

### 1975
#### Primary election

Mississippi House of Representatives, District 4, 1975 primary election * denotes incumbent     Source: :
| Party | Party | Candidate |
| | Democratic | James Nunnally * |
| | Democratic | Dwight Ward |
| | Democratic | ? |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes |
| Runoff election |||||
| | Democratic | James Nunnally * |
| | Democratic | Dwight Ward |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes |

#### General election

Mississippi House of Representatives, District 4, 1975 general election * denotes incumbent     Source: :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | James Nunnally * | | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | | 100 |

### 1979
#### Primary election

Mississippi House of Representatives, District 4, 1979 primary election * denotes incumbent     Source: :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | James Nunnally * | 6,353 | 61.0 |
| | Democratic | F. L. Rowell | 4,061 | 39.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 10,414 | 100 |

#### General election

Mississippi House of Representatives, District 4, 1979 general election * denotes incumbent     Source: :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | James Nunnally * | 2,992 | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,992 | 100 |

### 1983
#### Primary election

Mississippi House of Representatives, District 4, 1983 primary election * denotes incumbent     Source: :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | James Nunnally * | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | | |

#### General election

Mississippi House of Representatives, District 4, 1983 general election * denotes incumbent     Source: :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | James Nunnally * | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | | |

### 1987
#### Primary election

Mississippi House of Representatives, District 4, 1987 primary election * denotes incumbent     Source: :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | James Nunnally * | | |
| | Democratic | Joe Mitch McElwain | | |
| | Democratic | Huddleston | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | | |
| Runoff election |||||
| | Democratic | Joe Mitch McElwain | 6,452 | 60.0 |
| | Democratic | James Nunnally * | 4,303 | 40.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 10,755 | 100 |

### 2011
#### Primary election

Mississippi House of Representatives, District 4, 2011 primary election * denotes incumbent     Source: :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | James Nunnally | 3,667 | 49.6 |
| | Democratic | Jody Steverson | 3,183 | 43.1 |
| | Democratic | Steve Fisher | 543 | 7.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 7,393 | 100 |
| Runoff election |||||
| | Democratic | Jody Steverson | 3,491 | 52.0 |
| | Democratic | James Nunnally | 3,218 | 48.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 6,709 | 100 |