The Mississippi Senate approved a new legislative district map last week to appease a federal order asserting the state is diluting Black voting power with the way its current districts are drawn. However, one of the counties set to be impacted announced that legal counsel has been retained for plans to contest the proposed redistricting plan.
“In light of the potential adverse impact upon our county and its citizens created by the Mississippi Senate’s proposed redistricting plan, the DeSoto County Board of Supervisors has retained outside legal counsel to explore all legal remedies made available to contest the Senate plan on behalf of the voters of DeSoto County,” reads a statement from the DeSoto County Board of Supervisors that did not expound on what the potentially negative impacts would be.
DeSoto County, which sits in north Mississippi and is one of the areas a federal panel of judges ordered lawmakers to create a majority-Black district within, would be required to hold special elections in November if the plan is put in place.
Two current officeholders, Sens. Reginald Jackson and Michael McLendon, would be pitted against each other as portions of District 11 and District 1 would be combined under the new map to allow for a new majority-Black district with no incumbent.
McLendon, a Republican who serves District 1, voiced his displeasure for the plan on the chamber floor and offered an amendment for a different portion of the county to be split. He was overruled when the chamber voted 33-16 in favor of the map pieced together by the Senate Rules Committee. Jackson, a Democrat serving District 11, joined McLendon in voting against the plan.
“We have a court order, and we’re going to comply,” Senate Rules Committee Chair Dean Kirby said at the time.
Other districts with a portion of DeSoto County impacted by the map are Districts 2, 10, and 19. Each would have a special election on the same date as McLendon and Jackson’s potentially shared district.
The Senate was also required to redraw District 45 in Forrest County, which sits in the state’s Pine Belt region between Jackson and the Gulf Coast, to allow Black voters a fairer chance to have representation at the state capitol. Under the new map, neighboring Districts 34, 41, 42, and 44 would also be impacted.
While the new plan would have put Sens. Chris Johnson and John Polk, two Republicans from the Hattiesburg area, against each other in a special election for the District 44 seat, Polk announced on the floor that he would not be seeking re-election.
The House of Representatives passed a similar redistricting resolution, in line with the federal order, earlier in the session to create a new majority-Black district in northeast Mississippi. The creation of House District 22 alters Districts 16, 36, 39, and 41 – meaning a total of 15 special elections across both chambers will be held this fall.
According to Kirby, both resolutions are expected to be passed by the opposite chamber and sent to the federal judge panel for final approval.
