Five candidates are competing to fill the Hinds County district attorney position in a special election set for Nov. 3, following the departure of Jody Owens. Owens resigned after pleading guilty to a federal bribery conspiracy charge earlier this summer.
The filing deadline was Thursday at 5 p.m., and all candidates filed with the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office before then. Candidates include defense attorney Darla Palmer, who is making her third bid for the office after losing to Owens in 2019 and 2023. Also on the ballot are Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Gwen Agho, Greta Mack, Marvin L. Sanders, and Wendy Wilson White, according to the secretary of state’s website.
The winner will serve the remainder of Owens’ term, which expires in January 2028. Acting District Attorney Brad McCullouch, appointed last month by Gov. Tate Reeves, is not running. McCullouch lives outside the district in Madison County and is ineligible to seek the office.
Owens was scheduled for trial in July alongside former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and former City Councilman Aaron Banks. Owens pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges two weeks before jury selection was set to begin. Lumumba and Banks also pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges related to a bribery scheme involving undercover FBI agents and a downtown development project. Sentencing for the three men is scheduled for October.
The next district attorney will oversee an office grappling with high caseloads, which have contributed to severe overcrowding at the Hinds County Detention Center.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
