U.S. District Judge Glen H. Davidson ruled Wednesday that plaintiffs did not provide enough evidence to prove that DeSoto County district maps were intentionally drawn to dilute Black voting power. The ruling, made in the case of Harris v. DeSoto County, dismisses claims brought under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
Davidson wrote in his decision that "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 arguments in the case were heard in March, and the federal lawsuit was filed in September 2024.
The lawsuit alleged that the 2022 DeSoto County electoral map diluted Black voting power in county office elections. The plaintiffs had sought a new redistricting plan and special elections for positions on the boards of supervisors and education, the election commission, constable, and justice court judge.
This decision follows the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Louisiana v. Callias, which has been described as weakening the federal Voting Rights Act's protections against racially discriminatory redistricting.
The ACLU of Mississippi released a statement calling the DeSoto County ruling "deeply disappointing." The organization stated that the Supreme Court's Callais opinion "pretends to adhere to the text of the Voting Rights Act and only updates the test for proving vote dilution." However, the ACLU asserted that "In reality, the Supreme Court is directing federal courts to close their eyes and ignore the clear results of discriminatory maps."
Mike Hurst, state Republican Party chairman, who represented DeSoto County in the case, told MPB that the lawsuit was an attempt by Democrats to win elections in a Republican county where they could not otherwise succeed.
DeSoto County, located in northwest Mississippi, has experienced significant population growth and a rising Black population, which now constitutes over 30% of the county's 190,000 residents. Despite this demographic shift, none of the 25 county offices determined by the map are currently held by Black individuals. The lawsuit did not address state legislative districts. The county does have a Black sheriff elected countywide, Democratic Black state legislators elected from majority-Black districts, and a Black Republican House member elected from a majority-white district.