Two candidates have submitted qualifying paperwork for the elected county court judge seats in Oktibbeha and Lowndes counties, one week into the qualifying period.
Incumbents Allison Kizer of Lowndes County and Lee Ann Turner of Oktibbeha County are both running for re-election.
Qualifying began Jan. 2 and runs through 5 p.m. Feb. 2. The election is Nov. 3.
County court judges can hear civil cases that exceed a jurisdiction of $3,500, the maximum for justice court, but do not exceed $200,000. County court judges also preside over youth courts and hear appeals from municipal and justice courts.
Turner is nearing the end of her first term in Oktibbeha County, where the county court was established in 2023.
“To start a court, it’s a lot of work (and) a lot of logistics,” Turner told The Dispatch on Thursday. “… It’s just grown in leaps and bounds. We started from a little unfinished office with a desk to now, we’re a fully-fledged court, and we have really premier programs thanks to where we are and our local people … all pitching in together.”
Turner said she is hopeful to serve another term to continue building on that progress.
“Three years is not a long time to work on starting a court and we’ve been very successful, but there’s a lot more that we need to kind of get put in place and stabilize and really figure out what works for our families and the children in our community, and just keep developing those programs more and more,” she said.
Kizer, who is closing out her second term as county court judge, did not return calls or texts from The Dispatch by press time.
To qualify, a candidate must have resided in the county they seek election in for two years prior to the election and must be a Mississippi resident of at least five years. Candidates must also be a practicing attorney of at least five years and be at least 26 years old.
Qualifying paperwork is available to pick up at the circuit clerk’s office or online at the Mississippi Secretary of State’s website.
Candidates must also pay a $100 qualifying fee upon submitting their paperwork. Elected officials will serve a four-year term which will begin Jan. 1, 2027.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 35 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
