(From the livestream on MS Legislature, October 1, 2026)
- State Auditor Shad White was among the speakers on Thursday to voice support for redistricting legislative and congressional districts in the wake of Callais. However, the majority of speakers spoke in opposition, calling it a “scam” and pointing to racism.
The last of a series of hearings to gather public input on potential legislative and congressional redistricting by the Mississippi Legislature concluded at the state Capitol on Thursday.
Since August 18, members of the Joint Committee on Redistricting and Reapportionment have been holding hearings across Mississippi to gather input on redrawing voting districts in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Callais v. Louisiana.
Governor Tate Reeves (R) is said to be considering calling a special session prior to January to redraw legislative district lines ahead of the start of qualifying for the 2027 election cycle. Congressional district, then, would presumably be taken up by lawmakers in the 2027 regular session.
During Thursday’s hearing, those wishing to speak were provided two minutes to give their statements in a meeting that lasted for three hours. Committee Chair State Senator Dean Kirby (R) put a 9 p.m. deadline on the meeting, stating that anyone who did not have time to provide comment could submit theirs in writing.
The majority of people who spoke at the Capitol Thursday night said they opposed any redistricting efforts. However, there were a few who called for an end to racial gerrymandering in the state.
Supporting redistricting
The evening’s first speaker was State Auditor Shad White (R), who is considering a run for governor in 2027. He asked the committee to redraw the lines either in a special session or during the upcoming 2027 regular session.
White told the lawmakers that 2nd District Congressman Bennie Thompson (D) needs to be replaced for the benefit of the Delta.
“So whether it’s a special session or a regular session, I just wanted to encourage you to at some point in the near future, take up congressional redistricting,” White said. “The Delta has been at the bottom of far too many rankings for far too long, and the Delta deserves better leadership than Bennie Thompson.”
White’s remarks were met with jeers and boos from several attendees in the room.
Leah Ferretti, a member of the Madison County Republican Women, also called for lines to be drawn that give every person in the state a say.
“Draw lines that respect the communities we all have built and draw lines that give the people who live in those communities a meaningful voice in their government,” Ferretti said.
Connie Davis urged the lawmakers to use “traditional criteria, not racial targets.”
“As a Christian, I have been taught to see the heart of people. Jesus told us to love one another, not by the outside, but by the heart.” Davis said. “The government must treat people as individuals and not racial categories.”
Evelyn Copeland, a member of the Mississippi Federation of Republican Women, said she supported redistricting because the Constitution calls for one vote for each citizen, and not the use of a system where some people’s vote carries more weight.
Against redistricting
The majority of the commenters took issue with the Legislature even considering redistricting.
State Rep. Chris Bell (D) followed Auditor White at the podium. He voiced support for Congressman Thompson and suggested his colleagues wait to redistrict until after the 2030 Census results are in, citing skewed results from the previous count in 2020.
“We know, during the past Census that the majority of the people in the state of Mississippi and the United States of America did not fill out a Census form because they did not trust who was in power at the time,” Bell described. “We do not trust the current administration and we did not trust it then.”
Tredrick Johnson, president of Omega Psi Fi Mississippi, said redistricting now is a scam.
“I am opposed to this fishy, out of sequence redistricting scam,” Johnson said. “I’m here to say that this is totally trumped up… absolutely pun is intended.”
Brooke Collins Floyd, pointed to the state’s history of racism and how, in her view, it has led to poverty, high taxes, less access to healthcare and lower education spending.
“We know first-hand what happens when race doesn’t matter in this state; it looks like an electorate that has never represented what the population reflects,” Floyd said.
Keyari Davis, a Jackson State university student studying political science, said she sees a correlation to the history she is studying in class and the current push for redistricting.
“We seem to be reverting back to the history of weakening the black vote and voice, silencing those who speak up and making major decisions like this one, while keeping the citizens in the dark,” Davis said.
Davis said that diverse representation is what the people of Mississippi deserve, but she does not believe the people are getting it.
“As I look at the panel in front of me I do not see diverse representation,” Davis added, pointing to the make-up of the committee.
She was joined by a number of other young college students attending various colleges in the state, all of which spoke in opposition to redistricting. Several respondents called for the committee to “leave the maps alone.” One student used about 30 seconds of her two minutes at the podium to repeat “Leave our maps alone.”
Romaine Richards contended that if redistricting was always a consideration, it would have taken place before the Callias decision. She believes something, or someone, else is behind this effort.
“If you truly believe in what you’re doing now, it would have started before that case came down from Louisiana,” Richards said. “It would have started before the blonde, red-headed, orange-colored person got in office.”
