Mississippi Senate passes redistricting that calls for 10 new elections
The chamber passed the plan 33-16. Two Democrats joined with the GOP majority to support the plan, while three Republicans joined with the Democratic minority to oppose it.
Even though voters just elected members of the Legislature in 2023, the 10 races will be held again because a three-judge federal panel determined last year that the Legislature did not create enough Black-majority districts when it redrew its districts.
The panel ordered the state to redraw the districts and create a new majority-Black district in the DeSoto County area in the Forrest County area.
Senate Rules Committee Chairman Dean Kirby, a Republican from Pearl, told senators that the newly redrawn map complies with federal law and will allow Black voters in the two areas to elect a candidate of their choice.
'It's not a partisan ordeal,' Kirby said. 'We have a court order, and we're going to comply.'
The map creates one new majority-Black district each in DeSoto County and Forrest County, with no incumbent senator in either district. To account for this, the plan also pits two pairs of incumbents against one another in newly redrawn districts.
The proposal puts Sen. Michael McLendon, a Republican from Hernando, who is white and Sen. Reginald Jackson, a Democrat from Marks, who is Black, in the same district. The redrawn District 1 contains a Black voting-age population of 52.4%.
McLendon spoke against the proposal, arguing the process was not transparent and it was not fair to the city of Hernando, his home city.
'I don't want to be pushed out of here,' McLendon said.
The plan also puts Sen. Chris Johnson and Sen. John Polk, two Republicans from the Hattiesburg area, in the District 44 seat. Polk announced on the Senate floor that he would not run in the special election, making Jonson the only incumbent running in the race.
The full list of the Senate districts that were redrawn are:
1. Senate District 1: Sen. Michael McLendon, R-Hernando, and Sen. Reginald Jackson, D-Marks
2. Senate District 2: David Parker, R-Olive Branch
3. Senate District 10: Neil Whaley, R-Potts Camp
4. Senate District 11: New Senate district in DeSoto County with no incumbent
5. Senate District 19: Sen. Kevin Blackwell, R-Southaven
6. Senate District 34: Sen. Juan Barnett, D-Heidelburg
7. Senate District 41: Sen. Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall
8. Senate District 42: Sen. Robin Robinson, R-Laurel
9. Senate District 44: Sen. John Polk, R-Hattiesburg, Sen. Chris Johnson, R-Hattiesburg
10. Senate District 45: New district in Lamar County with no incumbent
McLendon and Sen. Derrick Simmons, a Democrat from Greenville, offered amendments that proposed revised maps, but both alternatives were rejected.
Simmons, the Senate's Democratic leader, opposed the plan the Senate passed Thursday because he does not believe any incumbent senators should be paired in the same district.
The House earlier in the session approved a plan that redrew five districts in north Mississippi and made the House district in Chickasaw County a majority-Black district.
Sen. Kirby told reporters he believes the House and the Senate have a 'gentleman's agreement' to pass the other chambers' plan, which has historically been the custom.
Under the legislation, the qualifying period for new elections would run from May 19 to May 30. The primary election will be held on August 5, with a potential primary runoff on September 2 and the general election on November 4.
Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has no direct say in legislative redistricting, so once the Legislature passes a redistricting plan, it will go back before the federal courts for approval.
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