The redistricting conversation continues in Mississippi, and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann has appointed senators from all four of the state’s congressional districts to assess the prospect of drawing new lines.
Hosemann announced Monday his members of the Mississippi Joint Committee on Reapportionment and Redistricting following U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which determined that states cannot lean on race when drawing voting maps.
Chairing the committee is Sen. Jeremy England (R-Vancleave) with fellow Sen. Lane Taylor (R-Philadelphia) serving as co-chair. The committee members include two representatives from each of the four congressional districts.
- Congressional District 1: Sen. Daniel Sparks (R-Belmont) and Sen. Angela Turner-Ford (D-West Point)
- Congressional District 2: Sen. Briggs Hopson (R-Vicksburg) and Sen. Albert Butler (D-Port Gibson)
- Congressional District 3: Sen. Josh Harkins (R-Flowood) and Sen. Dean Kirby (R-Pearl)
- Congressional District 4: Sen. Brice Wiggins (R-Pascagoula) and Sen. Mike Thompson (R-Gulfport)
Mississippi’s legislature last drew congressional lines in 2022 and maintained all four seats without changing the number of districts, based on the 2020 census. But following the nation’s high court’s April ruling, there has been a push among GOP-heavy states to redraw lines in a manner that would give the party better odds at broadening its influence in Congress.
Mississippi has been a subject of this effort, with some Republicans calling on state lawmakers to make it more challenging for longtime U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson to maintain his District 2 post and for the map to be reconfigured to give Republicans an advantage across the board. Thompson is the state’s lone Democratic elected official in Capitol Hill and is serving his 17th term.
While some states have ordered special sessions to redistrict, in Mississippi, Gov. Tate Reeves has held off for the time being. Midterms are on the horizon and changing the voting map would be a challenge in and of itself, one that would be subject to litigation. However, there is chatter that the governor will call a special session on redistricting before the calendar year ends.
“I have full confidence these members will respectfully and thoroughly study redistricting, understanding the magnitude of this responsibility,” Hosemann said. “Just as the committee brought forward thoughtful proposals in 2022, I expect this committee to do the same.”
What has the House done?
Like Hosemann, House Speaker Jason White has a group of lawmakers from his chamber looking to tackle redistricting. Reps. Noah Sanford (R-Collins) and Mark Tullos (R-Raleigh) are co-chairing the House’s side of the joint committee, with the following lawmakers serving as members of it:
- Congressional District 1: Donnie Bell (R-Fulton) and Rodney Hall (R-Southaven)
- Congressional District 2: Kevin Horan (R-Grenada) and Tracy Rosebud (D-Tutwiler)
- Congressional District 3: Scott Bounds (R-Philadelphia) and Carl Mickens (D-Brooksville)
- Congressional District 4: Jay McKnight (R-Gulfport) and Missy McGee (R-Hattiesburg)
“These House members represent a diverse set of skills and backgrounds. The Joint Committee will explore the best path forward to establish principles for redistricting based on the recent Callais Supreme Court decision,” White said. “I’m confident these members will review all relevant information, listen to the constituencies across our state, and come forward with a plan that reflects the requirements of the post-Callais landscape.”
