U.S. District Judge Glen H. Davidson on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit challenging DeSoto County’s electoral maps, saying the plaintiffs failed to prove their claims of vote dilution under the Voting Rights Act.
The case, Harris v. DeSoto County, was filed in September 2024. It argued that the 2022 county map diluted Black voting power in elections for county offices. The plaintiffs requested a new redistricting plan and special elections for positions on the boards of supervisors, education, and the election commission, as well as offices for constable and justice court judge.
Judge Davidson’s ruling follows arguments heard in March and comes amid ongoing debates over voting rights after the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Louisiana v. Callais. The ruling in that case limited federal protections against racially discriminatory redistricting, prompting protests and political disputes nationwide.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi called the DeSoto County decision “deeply disappointing,” criticizing the Supreme Court’s recent ruling as ignoring clear evidence of discrimination in district maps.
Mike Hurst, chair of the Mississippi Republican Party, represented DeSoto County in the case. He told MPB that the lawsuit was motivated by Democrats’ frustration over election results, describing it as “nothing more than Democrats are mad they can’t win an election in DeSoto County because it’s a Republican county.”
DeSoto County, just south of Memphis in northwest Mississippi, has experienced rapid growth and now has a population of about 190,000, with more than 30% identifying as Black. Despite the demographic changes, none of the 25 county offices created by the current map are held by Black officials. The county does have a Black sheriff elected countywide, along with Black state legislators representing majority-Black districts and a Black Republican serving in the State House. The lawsuit did not challenge legislative district boundaries.
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
