Jim Hood

Jim Hood
Born	James Matthew Hood 5/15/1962
Birthplace	New Houlka, Mississippi, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Lawyer, politician
Known for	39th Attorney General of Mississippi
Education	University of Mississippi (BA, JD)
Spouse(s)	Debra Hood
Children	3

James Matthew "Jim" Hood (born May 15, 1962) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 39th Attorney General of Mississippi from January 8, 2004, to January 14, 2020. A member of the Democratic Party, Hood held the distinction of being the last Democrat to hold statewide office in Mississippi, and from 2008 until the end of his tenure in 2020, he was the only Democrat serving in statewide elected office in the state. A former district attorney, Hood was first elected attorney general in 2003 and won re-election three times before mounting an unsuccessful campaign for Governor of Mississippi in 2019, losing the general election to then-Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves. During his four terms as attorney general, Hood became known for pursuing cases involving insurance companies in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, challenging gubernatorial pardons, and engaging in a high-profile dispute with Google over online content regulation. Since leaving office, Hood has entered private legal practice.

Early Life

James Matthew Hood was born on May 15, 1962, in New Houlka, a small town in Chickasaw County, Mississippi. Hood grew up in rural Mississippi and developed a style and sensibility deeply rooted in the state's culture. A 2013 profile in Governing magazine described Hood as speaking "with a folksy twang," noting that he "says grace before dinner and styles his hair like the late country singer Conway Twitty." These qualities would later become central to his political identity as a conservative Democrat who could appeal to voters across party lines in an increasingly Republican state.

Before entering statewide politics, Hood served as a district attorney in Mississippi, gaining prosecutorial experience that would form the foundation of his later career as attorney general. His background as a prosecutor gave him credibility on law enforcement and criminal justice issues, which proved advantageous in his political campaigns.

Education

Hood attended the University of Mississippi, commonly known as Ole Miss, where he earned both his Bachelor of Arts degree and his Juris Doctor degree. His legal education at the University of Mississippi School of Law prepared him for a career in public service and law that would span more than three decades.

Career

District Attorney

Prior to his election as attorney general, Hood served as a district attorney in Mississippi. In this role, he prosecuted criminal cases and developed the legal and courtroom experience that would later define his approach to the attorney general's office. His record as a prosecutor became a central element of his political campaigns, allowing him to present himself as a tough-on-crime Democrat.

Attorney General of Mississippi

Hood was first elected Attorney General of Mississippi in 2003, defeating Republican Scott Newton. He succeeded fellow Democrat Mike Moore, who had served in the role since 1988. Hood took office on January 8, 2004, and would go on to serve four consecutive terms, winning re-election in 2007, 2011, and 2015. His final re-election in 2015 marked the last time a Democrat won a statewide election in Mississippi.

During his tenure, Hood served under Governors Haley Barbour and Phil Bryant, both Republicans. His ability to win statewide office repeatedly as a Democrat in one of the most conservative states in the country drew national attention. Governing magazine profiled him in 2013 under the headline "The Last Democrat in Dixie," highlighting his unique political position.

Hurricane Katrina Insurance Litigation

One of the most significant areas of Hood's work as attorney general involved the legal aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the Mississippi Gulf Coast in August 2005. Hood pursued legal action against insurance companies that he alleged had improperly denied claims from homeowners whose properties were damaged or destroyed by the hurricane. The disputes centered on whether damage was caused by wind, which was typically covered by homeowner insurance policies, or by flooding and storm surge, which required separate flood insurance.

Hood's aggressive pursuit of the insurance industry on behalf of Mississippi policyholders led to significant legal confrontations. In 2008, the dispute escalated when Hood sought contempt charges related to the insurance litigation. The cases drew national media coverage and positioned Hood as a prominent advocate for hurricane victims against major insurance corporations.

Challenge to Gubernatorial Pardons

In January 2012, outgoing Governor Haley Barbour issued a series of controversial pardons, including the release of several convicted murderers who had worked as trusties at the Governor's Mansion. The pardons sparked widespread public outrage in Mississippi and across the nation. Hood, as attorney general, challenged the pardons in court, arguing that some of them did not comply with the Mississippi constitutional requirement that inmates seeking pardons publish notices in their local newspapers for 30 days prior to receiving the pardon.

The legal challenge became one of the most high-profile cases of Hood's tenure and drew significant national attention to the power of gubernatorial pardons. The Mississippi Supreme Court ultimately upheld most of Barbour's pardons, but the case solidified Hood's reputation as an attorney general willing to challenge the actions of members of his own state's government, including those of the opposing party.

Dispute with Google and the MPAA

Perhaps the most nationally prominent legal controversy of Hood's career involved his investigation of Google, which became intertwined with the broader debate over online content regulation and the relationship between state attorneys general and the entertainment industry.

In 2014, Hood issued a subpoena to Google demanding information about the company's practices related to illegal content, including pirated movies, counterfeit goods, and illegal pharmaceutical advertisements. The investigation drew intense scrutiny after leaked emails, obtained as part of the Sony Pictures hack, revealed communications suggesting that the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) had been working closely with Hood and other state attorneys general to pressure Google into more aggressively policing copyrighted content on its platforms.

The New York Times reported in December 2014 that Google's critics, including major Hollywood studios, had enlisted state attorneys general in their fight against the technology company. The leaked documents showed that the MPAA had helped draft letters for Hood's office to send to Google and had developed a legal strategy that some characterized as a revival of elements from the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), which had been defeated in Congress in 2012.

Google responded by filing a lawsuit in federal court seeking to block Hood's subpoena, arguing that it violated the company's First Amendment rights and was preempted by federal law, specifically Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which provides broad immunity to internet platforms for content posted by users. A federal judge initially granted Google a preliminary injunction against Hood's investigation.

However, in April 2016, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reversed the lower court's decision, ruling that Google would have to deal with Hood's investigation and that the company had not demonstrated sufficient grounds for a preliminary injunction. The dispute was eventually resolved in July 2016 when Google and Hood reached an agreement, ending the legal confrontation.

During the course of the litigation, a court also ruled that emails between Hood's office and the MPAA could be subject to disclosure, further illuminating the degree of coordination between the entertainment industry and the attorney general's office.

In January 2015, Hood also sought to have a separate lawsuit involving Google dismissed in state court. Hood maintained throughout the dispute that his investigation was motivated by genuine concerns about illegal content online, not by influence from the entertainment industry.

Prison Corruption Case

Hood's office also pursued cases related to corruption within the Mississippi prison system. In 2017, a civil lawsuit was filed in connection with a bribery case involving Christopher Epps, the former commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, who had been convicted of federal corruption charges for accepting bribes from private prison companies. The case highlighted issues of corruption in the state's criminal justice system and Hood's office played a role in the civil litigation that followed the federal prosecution.

Advisory Opinions

As attorney general, Hood issued formal opinions that interpreted Mississippi law for state officials and agencies. One such opinion, issued in 2009, addressed the question of what would happen if the Mississippi Legislature failed to pass a budget. The opinion outlined a legal roadmap for state government operations in the absence of an appropriations bill, a document that continued to be referenced years after Hood left office.

2019 Gubernatorial Campaign

On October 3, 2018, Hood announced that he would run for Governor of Mississippi in the 2019 election. As the last remaining Democrat holding statewide office, his candidacy attracted significant attention both within the state and nationally. Hood easily won the Democratic primary on August 6, 2019.

In the general election, Hood faced Republican nominee Tate Reeves, who was then serving as Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi. The race was closely watched as a test of whether a conservative Democrat could compete in a deep-red Southern state. Hood campaigned on issues including healthcare expansion, infrastructure, and education, seeking to appeal to moderate and independent voters as well as the Democratic base.

On November 5, 2019, Hood lost the general election to Reeves, marking his first statewide loss after four successful campaigns for attorney general. The defeat ended Hood's 16-year tenure in statewide office and confirmed the continuing dominance of the Republican Party in Mississippi statewide elections. No Democrat has won a statewide election in Mississippi since Hood's final re-election as attorney general in 2015.

Post-Government Career

After leaving office on January 14, 2020, Hood was succeeded as attorney general by Lynn Fitch, a Republican. Hood subsequently joined the national law firm Weisbrod Matteis & Copley, establishing the firm's first Mississippi-based office in Houston, Mississippi. He also joined the bipartisan advisory board of the States United Democracy Center, an organization focused on election integrity and democratic institutions.

Personal Life

Hood is married to Debra Hood, and the couple has three children. Hood has been described as a culturally conservative Democrat whose personal style reflects his rural Mississippi upbringing. The Governing profile of Hood noted his traditional manners and distinctly Southern persona, characteristics that helped him maintain electoral viability in a state where the Democratic Party's influence had been steadily declining.

Hood resides in Mississippi, where he has continued to practice law following the end of his government service.

Recognition

Hood's tenure as attorney general attracted national attention primarily because of his status as the last remaining Democrat in statewide office in Mississippi — and, more broadly, as one of the few Democrats holding statewide office in the Deep South during his later terms. His 2013 profile in Governing magazine highlighted his unusual political position, characterizing him as "The Last Democrat in Dixie."

His work on behalf of Hurricane Katrina victims against insurance companies earned him recognition among consumer advocates, while his investigation of Google drew attention from technology policy observers, First Amendment scholars, and critics who viewed the case as an example of undue corporate influence on state law enforcement priorities.

Hood's four successful campaigns for attorney general — spanning from 2003 to 2015 — represented a remarkable streak of electoral success for a Democrat in an increasingly Republican state. His ability to win re-election even as other Democrats were swept from office in Mississippi made him a subject of study for political analysts examining the evolution of Southern politics and the decline of the Democratic Party in the region.

Legacy

Hood's career as attorney general spanned a transformative period in Mississippi politics. When he first took office in 2004, Democrats still held several statewide offices in Mississippi. By the time he left in 2020, he had been the sole remaining Democrat in statewide office for over a decade. His tenure thus serves as a marker of the broader political realignment that saw the Republican Party achieve dominance across the American South.

His legal opinions as attorney general continued to carry relevance after he left office. As noted by Mississippi Today in 2025, Hood's 2009 opinion on legislative budget failures remained the key legal reference point for understanding government operations in the absence of a state budget.

The Google investigation, while controversial, raised important questions about the role of state attorneys general in regulating technology companies and the influence of corporate lobbying on law enforcement priorities. The case became a frequently cited example in debates over internet regulation, the scope of Section 230 protections, and the intersection of state power with federal communications law.

Hood's 2019 gubernatorial campaign represented the last major competitive effort by a Democrat to win the Mississippi governorship in recent years. While he was unable to break the Republican hold on the office, his campaign demonstrated that a conservative Democrat with strong name recognition and a prosecutorial background could mount a credible challenge in even the most Republican-leaning states.