Mississippi Today is proud to announce the expansion of its politics team, dedicated to providing readers with in-depth reporting on the 2025 legislative session and key political issues shaping our state.
This team will rove the halls of the Mississippi Capitol in 2025, providing insightful daily updates, robust analysis, and in-depth coverage of state politics. The team will also produce investigations that aim to provide accountability to our state’s most powerful leaders.
Geoff Pender, a seasoned journalist with decades of experience covering Mississippi politics, continues his role as the politics team editor. Pender will guide the team as they tackle critical stories and offer insightful commentary on the decisions affecting Mississippians.
“We have a great team in place, a mix of old hands and fresh eyes, and one I believe will enhance Mississippi Today’s already unrivaled coverage of Mississippi government, politics and policies that impact us all,” Pender said.
Newcomers to the politics team — Simeon Gates and Michael Goldberg — join team veteran Taylor Vance to bring unique expertise to readers.
Simeon Gates, who has been with Mississippi Today since 2024, moves to the politics team to focus on education policy issues, highlighting how debates and decisions at the Capitol affect Mississippi’s schools, teachers and students. Gates is a Pearl native and alumna of University of Southern Mississippi.
Michael Goldberg joined Mississippi Today on Dec. 30, 2024, after more than two years with The Associated Press. Goldberg, who covered two Mississippi legislative sessions with the AP, will be posted at the Capitol daily. Goldberg is a California native and is an alumnus of Western Washington University and University of Southern California.
Taylor Vance, who has served on the Mississippi Today politics team since 2023, will continue to cover the Legislature and focus on elections and the political dynamics shaping the state’s future. Vance, a Grenada native, is an alumnus of the University of Mississippi.
PODCAST: Expanded Mississippi Today politics team talks 2025 legislative session
Mississippi Today Senior Political Reporter Bobby Harrison, who has been on the politics team since 2018, is transitioning to a new role in the newsroom that will be announced in coming days. Harrison will continue publishing his weekly political analysis in conjunction with newspaper partners across the state.
The politics team will continue producing its weekly podcast, “The Other Side,” and beginning this week, videos of episodes will be available to watch on our YouTube channel.
To follow Mississippi Today’s politics team and its coverage of the 2025 legislative session, you can do two things:
- Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter. There, the team will recap the previous week, forecast the upcoming week, and produce short videos and other written nuggets that you can’t find anywhere else.
- Bookmark our 2025 Legislative Guide, which includes resources you need to engage with lawmakers and follow their action this year. This page will also update whenever a new legislative story from Mississippi Today publishes.
Thank you for reading, and don’t hesitate to email us if you have any questions or tips.
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