Mississippi Native: Greta Kemp Martin

"Running for public office was always in the cards for me—I was always looking for a good opportunity where I felt like I could best serve my community."

As we approach Election Day on November 7, Rooted is bringing you into the minds of candidates and young voters across the state. What does “home” mean to Mississippians who are working to affect political change this election season? This week we hear from Greta Kemp Martin, Democratic candidate for Mississippi Attorney General.

Featured contributor Greta Kemp Martin.

Where are you from?

I am from Tishomingo County—the very northeast corner of the state—and was raised in a small town called Belmont.

How long have you lived in Mississippi?

I am a lifelong Mississippi kid! I started off in Tishomingo County, moved to God’s Country (aka Oxford) to attend Ole Miss for undergrad, came to Jackson to attend Mississippi College School of Law and stayed here after I passed the bar. I was considering moving back to Oxford or the Gulf Coast when I met my husband, Drew, and his three amazing children—so I stayed here in Jackson. 

What does “home” mean to you? How does Mississippi fit into that definition?

To me, home is a feeling of belonging, safety, and comfort, but also a deep-rooted emotional connection that you can tap into and immediately be flooded with your greatest, saddest, most beautiful, sometimes tragic memories. My feelings of home are quite literally scattered in several nooks and crannies of this state. It’s the chicken and dumplin’s my mother would make on Sundays. It’s riding in my Dad’s cop car to eat lunch at the Dixie Queen in Belmont during hot summer days. It’s serving coffee and hamburgers to folks at Sparks’ Drive-In until I left for college. But it’s also the feeling I get when I visit Oxford on game day or see the home I’ve built with my husband in Jackson’s Heatherwood neighborhood.

Mississippi exudes home for me because I’ve had such an amazing opportunity to experience so much she has to offer. I certainly hope there’s more to come—I’ve yet to live on our beautiful Gulf Coast! Maybe that’s where I will retire-ha!

Left: Greta's niece and nephew campaigning for her at Rooster Run in Corinth. Right: Greta campaigning with her father Mike Kemp in Tishomingo County.

How have you cultivated a community in Mississippi? Who are the people who have made you feel rooted here?

It is almost impossible to avoid cultivating a community in Mississippi. I believe that Mississippians are genetically predisposed to nurture, mentor, and befriend others. I’ve been very fortunate to have woven together a beautiful tapestry of family, friends, mentors, and supporters who truly believe I can move mountains and change the world—so, I try to do just that because they tell me I can. My family is certainly my deepest root. I have a mother who told me I could do anything, filled my life with books and opportunities, and made sure I had everything I needed. I was raised by a father who taught me the beauty of public service, community engagement, and generosity of spirit. I was always surrounded by my siblings, cousins, grandparents—it was a humble, but rich childhood. The family I have with my husband provides that same deep-rooted feeling even though I am miles away from where I was raised. My family is certainly the most beautiful part of my life.