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To: Judiciary B
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Representative Horan
HOUSE BILL NO. 1
(As Passed the House)
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 9-5-13, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
REVISE THE NUMBER OF CHANCELLORS FOR THE THIRD CHANCERY COURT 2
DISTRICT IN THE "FROM AND AFTER JANUARY 1, 2027" TIER; TO 3
CONDITION THE QUALIFYING DEADLINE FOR THE "PLACE THREE" 4
CHANCELLORSHIP FOR THE THIRD CHANCERY COURT DISTRICT UPON THE 5
GOVERNOR'S APPROVAL OF THIS ACT; TO AMEND SECTION 23-15-977, 6
MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM TO THE PRECEDING SECTION; TO 7
BRING FORWARD SECTION 9-5-11, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH 8
PROVIDES THE COUNTY COMPOSITION OF THE THIRD CHANCERY COURT 9
DISTRICT, FOR PURPOSES OF AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 10
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 11
SECTION 1. Section 9-5-13, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 12
amended as follows: 13
[Until January 1, 2027, this section shall read as follows:] 14
9-5-13. (1) There shall be three (3) chancellors for the 15
Third Chancery Court District. 16
(2) (a) The chancellor of Subdistrict 3-1 shall be elected 17
from DeSoto County. The two (2) chancellors of Subdistrict 3-2 18
shall be elected from Grenada County, Montgomery County, Panola 19
County, Tate County and Yalobusha County. 20
(b) For purposes of appointment and election, the three 21
(3) chancellorships shall be separate and distinct. The 22
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chancellorship in Subdistrict 3-1 shall be denominated only as 23
"Place One," and the chancellorships in Subdistrict 3-2 shall be 24
denominated only as "Place Two" and "Place Three." 25
[From and after January 1, 2027, this section shall read as 26
follows:] 27
9-5-13. (1) There shall be * * * three (3) chancellors for 28
the Third Chancery Court District. 29
(2) For purposes of appointment and election only, the * * * 30
three (3) chancellorships shall be separate and distinct and 31
denominated as "Place One" * * *, "Place Two * * *" and "Place 32
Three". The chancellor of Place One must reside in Tate County, 33
Panola County or Yalobusha County. The chancellor of Place Two 34
must reside in Carroll County, Grenada County, Montgomery County 35
or Tallahatchie County. The chancellor of Place Three must reside 36
in Carroll County, Grenada County, Montgomery County, Panola 37
County, Tallahatchie County, Tate County or Yalobusha County. 38
SECTION 2. If this act is approved by the Governor or 39
becomes law without the Governor's signature by January 23, 2026, 40
any candidate for the office of chancellor for Place Three of the 41
Third Chancery Court District in Section 1 of this act that takes 42
office from and after January 1, 2027, shall file their intent to 43
be a candidate no later than February 2, 2026, and qualify as 44
otherwise provided in Section 23-15-977 for candidates for 45
judicial office; however, if this act has not been approved by the 46
Governor or does not become law without the Governor's signature 47
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by January 23, 2026, any candidate for the office of chancellor 48
for Place Three of the Third Chancery Court District in Section 1 49
of this act that takes office from and after January 1, 2027, 50
shall file their intent to be a candidate no later than 5:00 p.m. 51
on May 1, 2026, and qualify as otherwise provided in Section 52
23-15-977 for candidates for judicial office. 53
Regardless of which qualifying deadline applies, any candidate 54
for the office of chancellor for Place Three of the Third Chancery 55
Court District in Section 1 of this act that begins from and after 56
January 1, 2027, shall run for such office in the November 2026 57
general election for judicial officers in the same manner as all 58
other candidates for judicial office. 59
SECTION 3. Section 23-15-977, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 60
amended as follows: 61
23-15-977. (1) Except as otherwise provided * * * by law, 62
all candidates for judicial office as defined in Section 23-15-975 63
of this subarticle shall file their intent to be a candidate with 64
the proper officials and pay the proper assessment by not later 65
than 5:00 p.m. on February 1 of the year in which the general 66
election for the judicial office is held. If February 1 occurs on 67
a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, candidates shall file their 68
intent to be a candidate and pay the proper assessment by 5:00 69
p.m. on the business day immediately following the Saturday, 70
Sunday or legal holiday. Candidates shall pay to the proper 71
officials the following amounts: 72
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(a) Candidates for Supreme Court justice and Court of 73
Appeals judge, the sum of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00). 74
(b) Candidates for circuit judge and chancellor, the 75
sum of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00). 76
(c) Candidates for county judge and family court judge, 77
the sum of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00). 78
(d) Candidates for justice court judge, the sum of One 79
Hundred Dollars ($100.00). 80
Candidates for judicial office may not file their intent to 81
be a candidate and pay the proper assessment before January 1 of 82
the year in which the election for the judicial office is held. 83
(2) Candidates for judicial offices listed in paragraphs (a) 84
and (b) of subsection (1) of this section shall file their intent 85
to be a candidate with, and pay the proper assessment made 86
pursuant to subsection (1) of this section to, the State Board of 87
Election Commissioners. 88
(3) Candidates for judicial offices listed in paragraphs (c) 89
and (d) of subsection (1) of this section shall file their intent 90
to be a candidate with, and pay the proper assessment made 91
pursuant to subsection (1) of this section to, the circuit clerk 92
of the proper county. The circuit clerk shall notify the county 93
election commissioners of all persons who have filed their intent 94
to be a candidate with, and paid the proper assessment to, such 95
clerk. The notification shall occur within two (2) business days 96
and shall contain all necessary information. 97
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(4) If only one (1) person files his or her intent to be a 98
candidate for a judicial office and that person later dies, 99
resigns or is otherwise disqualified from holding the judicial 100
office after the deadline provided for in subsection (1) of this 101
section but more than seventy (70) days before the date of the 102
general election, the Governor, upon notification of the death, 103
resignation or disqualification of the person, shall issue a 104
proclamation authorizing candidates to file their intent to be a 105
candidate for that judicial office for a period of not less than 106
seven (7) nor more than ten (10) days from the date of the 107
proclamation. 108
(5) If only one (1) person qualifies as a candidate for a 109
judicial office and that person later dies, resigns or is 110
otherwise disqualified from holding the judicial office within 111
seventy (70) days before the date of the general election, the 112
judicial office shall be considered vacant for the new term and 113
the vacancy shall be filled as provided in by law. 114
SECTION 4. Section 9-5-11, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 115
brought forward as follows: 116
[Until January 1, 2027, this section shall read as follows:] 117
9-5-11. (1) The Third Chancery Court District is composed 118
of the following counties: 119
(a) DeSoto County; 120
(b) Grenada County; 121
(c) Montgomery County; 122
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ST: Third Chancery Court District; revise
number of chancellors.
(d) Panola County; 123
(e) Tate County; and 124
(f) Yalobusha County. 125
(2) The Third Chancery Court District shall be divided into 126
two (2) subdistricts as follows: 127
(a) Subdistrict 3-1 shall consist of DeSoto County. 128
(b) Subdistrict 3-2 shall consist of Grenada County, 129
Montgomery County, Panola County, Tate County and Yalobusha 130
County. 131
[From and after January 1, 2027, this section shall read as 132
follows:] 133
9-5-11. The Third Chancery Court District is composed of the 134
following counties: 135
(a) Carroll County; 136
(b) Grenada County; 137
(c) Montgomery County; 138
(d) Panola County; 139
(e) Tallahatchie County; 140
(f) Tate County; and 141
(g) Yalobusha County. 142
SECTION 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from 143
and after its passage. 144