FILE - (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
- Candidates can now qualify to succeed Juan Barnett who resigned from the Mississippi State Senate earlier this month.
Governor Tate Reeves announced Monday that he has set a special election to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of State Senator Juan Barnett (D).
Barnett submitted his resignation from the Legislature earlier this month, ending a decade of service at the Capitol. The Senator has faced health challenges this year, missing much of the 2026 session.
Barnett previously served as the Mayor of Heidelberg from 2001-2016 before being elected to the Mississippi Senate. He worked as a digital technician with AT&T.
Voters in Senate District 34, which includes parts of Forrest, Jasper and Jones counties, will go to polls on December 22 to elect Barnett’s successor.
The qualifying period for candidates wanting to run for the office is now open through October 8.
Should no candidate receive a majority of the votes on December 22, a runoff would be held January 19, 2027.
