- See who is headed to Jackson to serve in the Mississippi Legislature and who still has some campaigning to do ahead of a runoff election on December 2.
Mississippi voters in eight state Senate districts and two House districts went to the polls Tuesday to elect new representatives to send to Jackson ahead of the start of the 2026 legislative session.
Six state Senate seats and one House seat were on the ballot as a result of court-ordered redistricting to allow for more majority minority districts in the Legislature.
READ MORE: Mississippi special elections set for Tuesday as SCOTUS considers limits on race-based electoral redistricting
Voters in two other Senate seats and one House seat determined who will succeed outgoing members that resigned prior to the end of their terms.
Due to the redistricting, Democrats picked up two seats in the Mississippi Senate and one seat in the Mississippi House. The gains in the Senate broke the Republican supermajority, reducing the GOP seats to 34 in the 52-seat chamber.
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee along with the Democratic National Committee invested in helping the Mississippi Democratic Party organize and fund their special election effort.
DLCC President Heather Williams said her organization “is thrilled to welcome more Democrats to the legislature as they continue chipping away at GOP power.”
”Tonight is an exciting victory for the DLCC and state Democrats in Mississippi who have worked tirelessly to make inroads in tough territory,” Williams said, adding that “voters are ready to stand up against Republicans’ extreme agenda and hold them accountable.”
Below is a rundown of how Election Day turned out in these select legislative districts. The results are unofficial and incomplete. Election officials have up to five days to process absentee ballots.
Special Redistricting Elections
Senate District 1
Incumbent Senator Michael McLendon (R) declared victory on social media not long after polls closed.
“It has been an overwhelming, hard-fought, and emotion-filled rollercoaster of an election year. District 1 remains conservative and RED,” McLendon wrote. “Vickey and I do not take this honor to represent you lightly. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your confidence and trust in us, once again!”
- Chris Hanna – Democrat – 28%
- Michael McLendon – Republican (incumbent) – 72%
Senate District 2
State Senator David Parker (R) did not seek re-election in this redrawn district.
Theresa Isom (D) picks up one of two net seats for Democrats.
- Charlie Hoots – Republican – 37%
- Theresa Isom – Democrat – 63%
Senate District 11
Incumbent State Senator Reginald Jackson (D) retains his seat in the Legislature.
- Reginald Jackson – Democrat (incumbent) – 67%
- Kendall Prewett – Republican – 33%
Senate District 19
Incumbent State Senator Kevin Blackwell (R) will return to Jackson.
- Dianne Black – Democrat – 47%
- Kevin Blackwell – Republican (incumbent) – 53%
Senate District 44
This district would have paired state Senators John Polk (R) and Chris Johnson (R) against each other, but Polk chose to not seek election, leaving Johnson as the lone incumbent running in the race.
Johnson will remain in the state Senate with the win on Tuesday.
- Chris Johnson – Republican (incumbent) – 70%
- Shakita Taylor – Democrat – 30%
Senate District 45
No incumbent was drawn into this new House district.
Former Hattiesburg mayor Johnny DuPree (D) wins a state House seat after previously running unsuccessfully for Governor and Congress. He picks up one of two net seats for Democrats.
- Johnny DuPree – Democrat – 71%
- Anna Rush – Republican – 29%
House District 22
Justin Crosby (D) defeated incumbent Jon Lancaster (R) to help Democrats pick up a seat in the House due to redistricting.
- Justin Crosby – Democrat – 53%
- Jon Lancaster – Republican (incumbent) – 47%
Other Special Legislative Elections
These races were being held due to members vacating their seats prior to the end of their term.
Should no candidate achieve a 50 percent plus one vote margin in these races, runoff elections would be held on December 2.
Senate District 24 (non-partisan race to fill vacated seat)
This race is to fill the vacated seat left by Senator David Jordan (D) who resigned citing the need to be with his wife.
Curressia Brown drew 24 percent and Jason Colquett pulled in 20 percent in the six-person race. The two will meet in the runoff election.
- Curressia Brown – 24%
- Jason Colquett – 20%
- Everette Hill – 15%
- Loretta McClee – 15%
- Justin Pope – 19%
- Georgio Proctor – 8%
Senate District 26 (non-partisan race to fill vacated seat)
This race is to fill the vacated seat left by now Jackson Mayor John Horhn (D).
Kamesha Mumford won 39% and Letitia Johnson drew 28% in the seven-person race. The two will face off in the runoff election.
- Coleman Boyd – 16%
- Jermaine Cooley – 6%
- Letitia Johnson – 28%
- Theresa Kennedy – 7%
- Kamesha Mumford – 39%
- James Pittman -2%
- Jeffery Stallworth – 2%
House District 26 (non-partisan race to fill vacated seat)
This race is to fill the vacated seat left by now Clarksdale Mayor Orlando Paden (D).
Otha Williams won the three-person race and avoids a runoff.
- Mary Frances Dear-Moton – 14%
- Kimberlyn Seals – 32%
- Otha Williams – 52%
Special Redistricting Elections Decided in Primaries
Seven other special redistricting elections were decided in the August party primaries.
Incumbents in all seven districts won re-election, expect one, that being Senate District 42 where Senator Robin Robinson lost to Don Hartness in the three-person Republican Primary.
Other winners from August include:
- Senator Juan Barnett (D) – SD 34
- Senator Joey Fillingane (R) – SD 41
- Rep. Rickey Thompson (D) – HD 16
- Rep. Karl Gibbs (D) – HD 36
- Rep. Dana McLean (R) – HD 39
- Rep. Kabir Karriem (D) – HD 41
