Judges rule in Senate districting issue

May 7, 2025 – The three-judge panel involved in the legal wrangling about redrawing Senate districts in DeSoto County Wednesday approved a revised plan for the districts affecting the county.  

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

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 federal court agreed and charged the Legislature with redrawing the districts, which was done during the 2025 session. 

However, the Legislature’s answer to the lawsuit would have divided Hernando and brought McLendon into the fray, challenging what was approved. He got support from Hernando aldermen and the Board of Supervisors and offered an alternative map, which was voted down by the Legislature.  

The issue eventually came back to the judges, who ordered each side to come up with another proposal. The judges ruled in favor of the Election Commissioners revised plan.  One of the reasons the state plan was favored was that incumbents would not be running against each other. 

The NAACP could still appeal the federal judges’ ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court if it chose 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. 

• May 12 – Deadline to Share Detailed Maps & Address Libraries with Local 
• Election Officials 
• June 2 – Qualifying Begins 
• June 9 – Qualifying Deadline 
• June 13 – Deadline for State Executive Committee to Submit Names of 
• Qualified Candidates 
• June 21 – Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act 
• (“UOCAVA”) Absentee Voting Begins for Primary Election 
• August 5 – Special Primary Election Day 
• September 2 – Special Primary Runoff Election Day 
• September 20 – UOCAVA Absentee Voting Begins for General Election 
• November 4 – Special General Election Day

McLendon called Wednesday’s ruling a clear victory for conservatives in DeSoto County and that local control was also upheld. 

“The ruling rejects attempts to let federal judges or liberal groups redraw Mississippi’s districts,” McLendon said. “Our Legislature—accountable to the people—retains control.” 

The Hernando Republican was grateful to voters, the Hernando Board of Aldermen, the DeSoto County Board of Supervisors, Secretary of State Michael Watson, and Gov. Tate Reeves, who joined the fight to protect our district.

Here is the complete ruling by the federal judges that was issued Wednesday.