Gov. Tate Reeves has set a special election date for the vacant Senate District 34 seat.
The governor’s announcement occurred on Monday, just under a month after state Sen. Juan Barnett resigned from his post in the legislature. Barnett, a Democrat from Heidelberg, represented District 34 in the Senate from 2016 until this past session.
A special election to replace the veteran lawmaker will occur on Dec. 22 of this year, with the qualifying deadline for candidates being Oct. 8. The Senate district spans Forrest, Jasper, and Jones counties.
Before stepping down from his Senate seat, Barnett chaired the Corrections and vice-chaired the Enrolled Bills committees, while also serving on the Appropriations, County Affairs, Energy, Public Health and Welfare, Judiciary A and B, and Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks committees. He notably worked to ease the process of restoring the voting rights of nonviolent offenders. He was Heidelberg’s mayor before being elected to the legislature.
If a runoff is forced during the upcoming special election, voters will return to the polls on Jan. 19, 2027 to elect a new senator. By that point, the legislative session will have begun.
