Mississippi DeSoto County Judicial Subdistrict Challenge

An anti-voting lawsuit seeking to dismantle the only majority-Black judicial subdistrict in DeSoto county for the 2026 midterms.

Background

Four DeSoto county voters, including the current DeSoto County supervisor, filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to dismantle DeSoto County’s only majority-Black judicial subdistrict. Plaintiffs assert that residents of the subdistrict “unjustly benefit” from selecting four circuit judges and three chancellors, while other subdistricts only get vote on three circuit judges and two chancellors. Plaintiffs argue the subdistrict violates the U.S. and Mississippi Constitutions and federal law. The lawsuit seeks to strike down the subdistrict.

Why It Matters

Black residents make up over a third of Desoto County’s residents. However, judgeships are elected countrywide and due to “longstanding pattern of racially polarized voting” Black voters “would lack a meaningful opportunity to elect their preferred candidates to the circuit and chancery courts” without a majority-Black subdistrict, intervenor-defendants noted. 

Latest Updates

• Aug. 13, 2026: The court denied plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction.
• July 31, 2026: The court held a hearing on plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction.
• July 29, 2026: DeSoto County NAACP and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s motion to intervene as defendants was granted.
• July 16, 2026: DeSoto County NAACP and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority moved to intervene as defendants in the lawsuit.
• July 2, 2026: Plaintiffs filed their complaint and a motion for a preliminary injunction.