DESOTO COUNTY — U.S. District Judge Glen H. Davidson ruled in favor of DeSoto County on June 24, 2026, dismissing the Harris v. DeSoto County case. Judge Davidson determined that the plaintiffs did not provide sufficient evidence that the county's district maps were drawn to intentionally dilute Black voting power.

Judge Davidson wrote in his decision, "plaintiffs cannot prove their claims for vote dilution pursuant to Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, and judgment must be awarded to defendants." The federal lawsuit, filed in September 2024, alleged that the 2022 DeSoto County electoral map diluted Black voting power in county office elections. The judge heard arguments in the case during March 2026.

The plaintiffs had sought a new redistricting plan and special elections for positions on the boards of supervisors and education, the election commission, the office of constable, and the office of justice court judge. The ruling followed the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which altered the legal standard for proving vote dilution under the Voting Rights Act.

Mike Hurst, who served as the state Republican Party chairman and represented DeSoto County in the case, offered a perspective. "Democrats are mad they can't win an election in DeSoto County because it's a Republican county," Hurst stated. DeSoto County is located in northwest Mississippi, south of Memphis, and has a total population of 190,000. The Black population represents more than 30% of the total population.

None of the 25 county offices determined by the electoral map in question are held by a Black person. However, the county does have a Black sheriff elected countywide. Additionally, Democratic Black state legislators are elected from majority-Black districts in the area, and a Black Republican House member is elected from a majority-white district. The lawsuit did not address legislative districts.