Franklin County now sits in Second Congressional District area

On Monday, Gov. Tate Reeves placed his signature on a bill recently passed by both houses of the Mississippi Legislature to redraw the Magnolia State’s congressional boundaries.

The most dramatic change to the map was moving Franklin, Adams, Amite and Wilkinson counties in Southwest Mississippi to the Second Congressional District seat currently held by Bennie Thompson, D-Bolton.

The redistricting plan was necessitated by the 2020 United States Census count, which placed the Magnolia State’s population at 2,961,279 — down from 2010’s total of 2,967,297.

Specifically, the Second Congressional District lost around 65,000 residents — about 9.08 percent of its population — during the 10-year cycle, and the four Southwest Mississippi counties were moved to help keep the state’s four districts relatively equal in population.

The latest Census numbers, which were released last year, showed Mississippi’s First District had a population increase of 2.21 percent; the Third District with an increase of 1.24 percent and the Fourth District with an increase of 4.82 percent.

Each decade, following the United States Census count of the population, the Mississippi Legislature is tasked with redrawing not only the boundaries for four U.S. House seats, but also district lines for statewide senate and house positions.

The legislative measure — as adopted — preserves the current balance of congressional power in Mississippi, keeping three seats for Republicans and one for the lone Democrat, Thompson.

Under the plan that now becomes law, the state’s population was divided as equally as possible — with Districts 1 and 2 having 740,319 residents; District 3 with 740,320; and District 4 with 740,321.

Of the four congressional districts, only the Second is a majority Black or African American district with more than 61 percent of its residents being people of color.

Mississippi, which has one of the nation’s highest Black per capita populations, endeavored to maintain an African American majority district with the redistricting plan so as not to dilute black voting strength — a practice the federal government has worked to eliminate since Voting Rights legislation was originally enacted in the 1960s.

“I would submit to you it’s a good Congressional plan for the citizens of the State of Mississippi,” said House Rep. Jason White, R-West, who outlined the proposal that was approved for recommendation to the Legislature by a majority of the redistricting committee’s members in December.

Thompson’s district would parallel pretty much the entire western boundary of Mississippi — stretching more than 300 miles from Tunica County all the way to the northernmost border with Louisiana.

The addition of the four Southwest Mississippi counties extended the boundaries of the Second District by some 60 miles.

Supporters of the plan that was approved earlier this month cited the district boundaries were contiguous and compact.

Other changes to boundaries statewide included splitting a small portion of northernmost Jones County between Districts 3 and 4, moving Clarke County in its entirety to District 4, shifting all of Winston County to District 3, and transferring Marion County to District 3.

A portion of Madison County in central Mississippi will be split between Districts 2 and 3 with the City of Jackson being the only municipality split between two congressional jurisdictions.

Three of four Franklin County representatives in the State House — Jeffery Harness, D-Fayette; Robert L. Johnson III, D-Natchez; and Sam C. Mims V, R-McComb — voted against the redistricting plan.

District 53 Republican Rep. Vince Mangold voted in favor of the proposal.

The House approved the measure 75-43-3.

In the State Senate, District 37’s Melanie Sojourner, who represents Franklin, Adams, Amite and Pike counties, voted against the measure while the full Senate gave its approval to the proposal, 33-18-1.

Senate Minority Leader Derrick Simmons, D-Greenville, put forth an amendment to keep the four Southwestern counties in the Third District and added all of Hinds County and part of Madison County to the Second District.

Johnson did the same in the House, but both amendments failed in their respective chambers.

In particular, Johnson noted on the House floor that he believed Thompson’s new district lines would encompass about 40 percent of Mississippi’s geographic area — a number that flies in the face of district compactness.

Another amendment, offered up by Sen. Angela Turner-Ford, D-West Point, sought to add all of Hinds and Madison counties to the Second District, split DeSoto County between the First and Second districts and add all of Oktibbeha County to the Third District.

Those additional changes also died on the Senate floor.