Judges side with state over NAACP in Mississippi redistricting battle; Special elections will proceed

May 8, 2025 Story by Publisher

A federal three-judge panel has approved a new redistricting plan for Mississippi’s DeSoto County, aiming to address concerns over the dilution of Black voting strength in the region. The decision follows a series of legal challenges and revisions to legislative maps initially adopted in 2022.

The panel, comprising U.S. District Judges Daniel Jordan III and Sul Ozerden, along with U.S. Fifth Circuit Judge Leslie Southwick, had previously ruled that the 2022 redistricting maps violated the Voting Rights Act by failing to provide Black voters with an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice.

In a 12-page ruling, the judges sided with the State Board of Election Commissioners’ proposal over a competing plan offered by the Mississippi NAACP.

In response, the Mississippi Legislature was ordered to redraw the maps, particularly focusing on DeSoto County and other areas with significant Black populations.

To remedy the violation, the court allowed the Legislature to propose a new House map redrawing House districts in the Chickasaw County area and a new Senate map redrawing districts in the DeSoto County and Hattiesburg areas.

The plaintiffs, the state chapter of the NAACP, and Black voters from around the state did not object to the Hattiesburg portion of the Senate plan. But they argued the Chickasaw County portion of the House plan and the DeSoto County portion of the Senate plan did not create a realistic opportunity for Black voters in those areas to elect their preferred candidates.

The ruling will keep Hernando entirely in one Senate District 1, currently represented by state Sen. Michael McLendon. A Black-majority District 2 was established and another maintained District 11 as a Black-majority district. Districts 1 and 19 were redrawn.

Current senators in these districts include McLendon (District 1), Dr. David Parker (District 2), Reginald Jackson (District 11), and Kevin Blackwell (District 19).

The initial litigation by the NAACP and activists challenged how the state Legislature drew its own districts as a result of the 2020 census, saying Blacks were not given proper opportunity to elect Blacks to represent them.

The newly approved plan, submitted by the State Board of Election Commissioners—which includes Governor Tate Reeves, Attorney General Lynn Fitch, and Secretary of State Michael Watson—establishes Senate District 2 as a majority-Black district. Additionally, adjustments were made to Senate District 11, reducing its Black voting-age population to balance representation.

State Senator Michael McLendon (R-Hernando) expressed support for the revised map, noting that it reunifies the city of Hernando into a single district, a change from previous proposals that had divided the city. McLendon criticized earlier redistricting efforts, stating they were attempts to “wrest control away from DeSoto County.”

Despite the court’s approval, the Mississippi NAACP and other plaintiffs have indicated potential objections to the new plan, arguing that it may not fully remedy the dilution of Black voting power. Attorneys for the state anticipate further legal challenges, suggesting that plaintiffs seek assurances of electoral outcomes favoring Black Democratic candidates.

The approved redistricting plan sets the stage for special elections in the affected districts. The qualifying period for candidates is scheduled from May 26 to May 30, with primary elections on August 5 and the general election on November 4. However, ongoing legal disputes could potentially alter this timeline.

The NAACP can still appeal the federal judges’ ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court if it chooses to. The NAACP originally filed the lawsuit three years ago, saying Black voting power was diluted.

The judges’ ruling also set the election calendar for the special elections in the revised districts this year.