DeSoto County Election Results: All 47 Precincts Counted
HERNANDO, Miss. — Updated DeSoto County election results now include all 47 Election Day precincts, and the late-reporting boxes changed the picture in several races. Democrat Scott Colom finished ahead of U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith among DeSoto County voters, Democrat Cliff Johnson edged U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly in the county, and the Chancery Court race that was separated by a single vote earlier Tuesday night ended with Gwen Baptist ahead by 234 votes.
The numbers come from the DeSoto County Election Commission’s unofficial summary report, time-stamped 10:24 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The results are unofficial until they are certified, and the county report does not declare winners. Affidavit ballots and any remaining absentee ballots can still change the final totals.
DeSoto County Election Results: Turnout
The report shows 54,402 ballots cast out of 119,801 registered voters, a turnout of 45.41 percent. That is more than double the partial count of about 25,500 ballots in the county’s first report Tuesday night, when 29 precincts had reported. Voters at some locations, including a College Road precinct in Olive Branch, waited in long lines during the day.
U.S. Senate and U.S. House in DeSoto County
These totals reflect DeSoto County ballots only, not statewide or district-wide results.
- U.S. Senate: Scott Colom (D) 28,103 (51.80%); Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) 24,780 (45.68%); Ty Pinkins (I) 1,301 (2.40%); write-ins 68.
- U.S. House, 1st District: Cliff Johnson (D) 27,281 (50.39%); Trent Kelly (R) 25,971 (47.97%); Johnny Baucom (L) 843 (1.56%); write-ins 48.
Statewide, the Senate race remained too close to call early Wednesday. Action News 5 reported that at 3 a.m., with 95.6 percent of votes counted, Colom led Hyde-Smith 462,821 to 462,778, a margin of 43 votes. Neither candidate claimed victory Tuesday night, and because this is a general election, there will be no runoff. In the 1st District, the Associated Press declared Kelly the winner districtwide, where he held about 61 percent of the vote.
Judicial Races
Mississippi judicial races are nonpartisan. Some of these districts include other counties, so the figures below are DeSoto County votes only.
- Court of Appeals, District 1, Position 1: Derek Dewayne Hopson Jr. 25,307 (52.55%); John Weddle 22,303 (46.31%). Weddle led in the early report.
- Chancery Court, District 17, Place 2: William “Ty” Scott 28,087 (58.85%); Elizabeth “Beth” Owens 19,229 (40.29%).
- Chancery Court, Subdistrict 17-1, Place 3: Gwen Baptist 3,049 (51.62%); Malenda Harris Meacham 2,815 (47.66%). The two were separated by one vote, 1,387 to 1,386, in the early report.
- Circuit Court, District 21, Place 1: Joseph “Jody” Neyman 25,447 (54.42%); Gordon Shaw Jr. 20,868 (44.63%).
- Circuit Court, Subdistrict 21-1, Place 4: John Hughes 3,584 (61.20%); Lucius Edwards 2,225 (38.00%).
Unopposed judicial candidates each received about 98 percent of the vote, with the rest going to write-ins: Donna M. Barnes (Court of Appeals, District 1, Position 2), Vicki Daniels (Chancery, Place 1), Craig Treadway (Circuit, Place 2), W. Douglas Hollowell III (Circuit, Place 3), and Allen B. Couch Jr. (County Court Judge, Place 1).
County Attorney, Justice Court and School Board
- County Attorney (special election): Tori Williams, unopposed, 43,786 (99.01%).
- Justice Court Judge, District 1: Robert “Billy” Johnson 4,844 (52.38%); James Earl Woodard 4,339 (46.92%).
- School Board, District 5: Charles Barton 8,792 (69.63%); Rebeca Tello 3,767 (29.83%).
What Happens Next
Election officials will review affidavit ballots and complete the canvass before results are certified. Close races, including the statewide Senate contest, could shift as those ballots are counted. DeSoto County News will report certified results when the county releases them.
For earlier coverage, see our early unofficial DeSoto County results and our DeSoto County Election Day guide.
Source: DeSoto County Election Commission (unofficial results summary); statewide count via Action News 5
