DeSoto County voters made history in Tuesday’s general election by choosing the county’s first Black judges for both the circuit and chancery courts, according to unofficial results reported by the DeSoto Times-Tribune. Southaven attorneys Gwen Baptist and John Hughes won the two new judgeships that the Legislature created last year.
Who Won the New Judgeships
Both seats sit in new subdistricts drawn within the county’s existing court districts. Unofficial results with all precincts reporting show:
Chancery Court, District 17-1, Place 3: Gwen Baptist, a Southaven-based attorney, received 51.6% of the vote. Malenda Harris Meacham received 47.7%.
Circuit Court, District 21-1, Place 4: John Hughes, owner of Hughes Law Group in Southaven, received 61.2%. Longtime DeSoto County attorney Lucius Edwards received 38%.
The chancery race was razor-close early on election night, with only one vote separating the candidates when about two-thirds of precincts had reported. Baptist pulled ahead as the remaining precincts came in. Our full precinct-by-precinct results post has the complete DeSoto County ballot.
What the First Black Judges Said
Baptist said the win was a chance to honor her father and those who came before her. She told the Times-Tribune that her father and grandfather “once had to conduct legal business outside the courthouse doors,” and that she now has the privilege of walking through those doors to serve.
Hughes, in a statement posted to Facebook, thanked voters and noted that he had already been the first Black municipal judge appointed in DeSoto County. He said he was humbled to now be “the first Black Judge elected to the Circuit Court as well.”
Why the Seats Were Created
State lawmakers added the two judgeships during the 2025 legislative session when they redrew Mississippi’s court districts using 2020 Census data. The redistricting created majority-Black subdistricts in some areas to give Black voters an opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. In DeSoto County, the subdistricts include nine of the county’s 47 precincts, covering parts of Horn Lake and Southaven.
The new districts were challenged in court. On July 2, District 5 Supervisor Robert Foster and three other residents sued the state, arguing the subdistricts were unconstitutional and violated the Voting Rights Act. A federal judge denied their request for a preliminary injunction in August, and the plaintiffs dismissed their claims on Sept. 1, ending the case.
Results Are Still Unofficial
About 45% of registered DeSoto County voters cast ballots on Tuesday. All of the numbers above remain unofficial. The DeSoto County Election Commission says affidavit ballots can be counted no earlier than Tuesday, Nov. 10, after 5 p.m., once the five-business-day windows for late mail-in absentee ballots and voter photo ID have closed. Counties have until Nov. 13 to certify their results to the Secretary of State.
The same ballot also gave DeSoto County majorities to Democrat Scott Colom in the U.S. Senate race and Democrat Cliff Johnson in the 1st Congressional District, even though Republican Rep. Trent Kelly kept his seat districtwide. The statewide Senate race was still too close to call Wednesday afternoon. See our Senate race update for the latest.
