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DeSoto Judges Redesign Lawsuit Alleges Racial Targeting

7/9/2026

Summary

Story summary

Plaintiffs claim the 2025 redesign forces DeSoto County judges to be elected only by voters in majority-Black subdistricts.
Former gubernatorial candidate Robert Foster and other DeSoto County residents filed the suit, which U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock now oversees, with a July 22 hearing scheduled.
State Senator Mike McLendon says the law singles out DeSoto County, naming Governor Tate Reeves, Secretary Michael Watson and Attorney General Lynn Fitch as defendants.

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Story summary

Plaintiffs claim the 2025 redesign forces DeSoto County judges to be elected only by voters in majority-Black subdistricts.
Former gubernatorial candidate Robert Foster and other DeSoto County residents filed the suit, which U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock now oversees, with a July 22 hearing scheduled.
State Senator Mike McLendon says the law singles out DeSoto County, naming Governor Tate Reeves, Secretary Michael Watson and Attorney General Lynn Fitch as defendants.