DeSoto County elects its first Black judges

As reported by Mississippi Today · Updated 5 Nov, 21:02 · Archive

Voters on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2026, elected John Hughes as its first Black circuit judge and Gwen Baptist as its first chancery judge in DeSoto County. The election came months after a failed federal lawsuit tried to halt voting from subdivisions created last year through redistricting efforts carried out by the state Legislature. Additionally, lawmakers added a circuit judge and a chancery judge to account for DeSoto's growing population.

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• DeSoto County elects its first Black judgesVoters on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2026, elected John Hughes as its first Black circuit judge and Gwen Baptist as its first chancery judge in DeSoto County. The election came months after a failed federal lawsuit tried to halt voting from subdivisions created last year through redistricting efforts carried out by the state Legislature. Additionally, lawmakers added a circuit judge and a chancery judge to account for DeSoto's growing population.Mississippi Today · 5 Nov, 21:02