Voters in Hinds County, Mississippi, will choose one of five candidates to serve as the county’s district attorney in a special election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Use this guide to learn about candidates’ backgrounds and policy views.
Former Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens, a Democrat whom voters elected in 2019, served until he resigned after pleading guilty on June 29, 2026, to federal conspiracy charges stemming from a scandal involving city and county officials in Jackson.
Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Winston Kidd appointed Brad McCullouch as attorney pro tempore for the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office on July 1, meaning he is just stepping into the position until the special election.
County district attorneys are responsible for prosecuting all felony cases in the district and assisting victims of crimes. Terms of office are for four years and the official must be a licensed and practicing attorney.
The special election is a nonpartisan election, meaning no candidate on the ballot will have a party label. The winner of the special election will complete Owens’ unexpired term, which ends in January 2028.
Gwen Agho
Background: Gwen Agho is the chief deputy district attorney for Hinds County, serving in the role since 2016. A native of Clinton and current Jackson resident, she graduated from Millsaps College and the University of Mississippi School of Law, where served on the Trial Advocacy Board and competed on the John L. Costello National Criminal Law Trial Advocacy Competition.
The chief deputy district attorney champions her 10 years of prosecutorial experience in which she has taken almost 100 trials to verdict with a 90% conviction rate. During Agho’s time in the office, she has prosecuted serious felony cases like murders, violent crimes, firearm offenses, narcotics cases and crimes against children.
In Lafayette County, Agho was a special prosecutor in the criminal trials of Sheldon “Timothy” Herrington Jr. who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and tampering in the death of Jimmie “Jay” Lee, a gay man who was prominent in the county’s LGBTQ+ community. The assistant district attorney said in her opening argument in one of the court trials on Jan. 6, 2024, that evidence would show Herrington, who was not openly LGBTQ+ at the time, had a relationship with Lee and is responsible for the death.
Agho said that her first priority if elected as district attorney is to organize and repair the Hinds County grand jury, as well as better prepare cases to present to the grand jury so that incarcerated people do not sit in jail for long periods of time awaiting trial.
She also said she wants to prioritize transparency, accountability and communication in the district attorney’s office for the people of Hinds County. The candidate aims to successfully prosecute offenders and obtain justice for victims and their families while treating them with dignity and respect.
“Victims deserve to know what’s happening in their own cases. Too often in this office, cases get resolved without input from victims and their families,” Agho said in an Aug. 21 press release. “That has to change. Every victim deserves to be heard, informed, and treated with dignity throughout the process, not just at the end of it.”
Candidate Qualifications:
- University of Mississippi School of Law alumna
- Current Hinds County deputy district attorney
- Says she has a 90% conviction rate in trials
- Says she prosecuted almost 100 felony cases, including murder and violent crimes
- Special prosecutor in Sheldon “Timothy” Herrington Jr.’s criminal trials
Website: www.gwenforda.com
Social Media: Facebook | Instagram
Greta Mack Harris
Background: Greta Mack Harris is an Edwards, Mississippi, native who has degrees from Tougaloo College and the Mississippi Christian University School of Law. She also enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve.
The candidate has spent much of her 30-year legal career in Hinds, Madison and Rankin county courtrooms as a prosecutor. Harris is currently an assistant Hinds County district attorney.
She also worked in youth courts as a special assistant attorney general and handled civil matters as a private lawyer.
In 2018, Harris ran for the Subdistrict 1 Hinds County court judge position against Melvin Priester, Sr. and Bridgette Marie Morgan, losing to Priester. She ran again in 2021, but Carlyn Hicks defeated her.
If elected as district attorney, Harris said she wants to reinstate training academies in Hinds County with the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department and law enforcement agencies in Jackson, Byram, Terry, Bolton, Edwards and Raymond. During the training, officials would learn about evidence preservation, upholding the Constitution and executing search warrants.
“(My experience) has equipped me to be balanced in my approach, mature and seasoned. And that’s what Hinds County deserves right now: a seasoned, mature, balanced district attorney, and I am prepared and ready to serve,” she said at the Hinds County Democratic Executive Committee’s district attorney candidates forum on Sept. 24.
Candidate Qualifications:
- Juris Doctor from Mississippi Christian University School of Law
- Current Hinds County district attorney
- Worked in youth courts as a special assistant attorney general
- Thirty years of experience in Hinds, Rankin and Madison County courtrooms as a prosecutor
- U.S. Army Reserve servicemember
Website: None publicly available.
Social Media: Facebook
Darla Palmer
Background: Darla Palmer is seeking the office of district attorney for the third time after losing to Jody Owens in 2019 and 2023. She is a native of Jackson with degrees from Jackson State University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Iowa College of Law.
Palmer was an analyst intern with the CIA while she was at JSU. Palmer began her career as a staff attorney at the Mississippi Department of Human Services Child Support Enforcement then she worked at the city attorney’s office in Jackson. In 2001, she opened her private practice where she still works specializing in criminal defense, expungements, social security and disability cases. She became the assistant public defender for the Rankin County Board of Supervisors in 2008, a role in which she is currently serving.
Palmer has over 26 years of experience in criminal, trial courtroom, victims’ rights and expungement cases. The attorney has also worked as a prosecutor for the Town of Edwards and the City of Jackson Civil Service Commission.
She was the defense attorney for Quinton Tellis, who faced criminal charges and two trials in Panola County for the 2014 death of Jessica Chambers, but both trials ended in hung juries.
Out of the five candidates running for Hinds County district attorney, Palmer is the only one who has not worked in the DA’s office in some way. She says on social media that her top priority is to improve safety in Hinds County, although she has not laid out a concrete proposal for how she intends to do so.
“We need to move cases at the DA’s office. We need to handle things quicker. We handle violent crime as well as nonviolent crime,” Palmer said in an Oct. 12 Facebook video. “Folks do not need to sit in the jail waiting to get their cases indicted. Guess who indicts them? The Hinds County DA’s office. So, if they’re just sitting there and haven’t been indicted, they’re taking up space in the jail. We need to move those cases.
Candidate Qualifications:
- University of Iowa College of Law alumna
- Twenty-six years of experience in criminal, trial courtroom, victims’ rights and expungement cases
- Assistant public defender for the Rankin County Board of Supervisors
- Worked at the city attorney’s office in Jackson
- Former staff attorney at the Mississippi Department of Human Services Child Support Enforcement
Website: None publicly available.
Social Media: Facebook
Marvin L. Sanders
Background: U.S. Air Force veteran Marvin L. Sanders obtained bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Alcorn State University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law. He lives in Jackson.
The candidate has almost 20 years of experience prosecuting criminal cases in Hinds County and other areas statewide, supervising attorneys and investigators. Sanders also has seven years of experience as a criminal defense attorney.
He served as the special assistant attorney general in the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, where he was the deputy director of the Public Integrity Division and director of the Vulnerable Persons Division.
As the assistant district attorney in Hinds and Leflore counties, Sanders prosecuted criminal cases and presented evidence to grand juries. The attorney managed daily operations like case management and team performance in Leflore County. He is currently the special prosecutor in Holmes and Yazoo counties and the lead attorney at his firm, the Law Office of Marvin L. Sanders, Esq., working on defense cases in Hinds County and other counties across Mississippi.
If elected as Hinds County district attorney, Sanders promises to serve the community with honesty and order, while implementing safety guardrails and building working relationships with law enforcement.
“Resources matter, but so does how you use them,” Sanders said in an Aug. 26 press release. “The goal should be to make sure the people working in the office have the tools they need to serve the public and do their jobs well. If there are state resources available to strengthen the office, we should be pursuing them and putting them to work for Hinds County.”
Candidate Qualifications:
- Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law
- Twenty years of experience as a prosecuting attorney and seven years of experience as a criminal-defense attorney
- Served as the special assistant attorney general in the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office
- Former assistant district attorney in Hinds and Leflore counties
- Current special prosecutor in Holmes and Yazoo counties
Website: None publicly available.
Social Media: Facebook | Instagram
Wendy Wilson White
Background: Jackson native Wendy Wilson White earned a bachelor’s degree at Tougaloo College, a master’s degree in finance at Clark Atlanta University and her Juris Doctor from Mississippi Christian University School of Law.
She is currently an assistant district attorney for Hinds County, and previously served as a chief prosecutor for the City of Jackson.
The candidate has 20 years of legal experience, with 13 years at private practices and 12 years of prosecuting crimes. White also spent time as a civil rights attorney working on behalf of Mississippians with mental illnesses.
As the Mississippi Department of Human Services’ deputy inspector general, she investigated welfare fraud across Mississippi.
If elected to serve as district attorney, White plans to prioritize the link between people with mental illnesses committing crimes. She also wants to educate children about what constitutes a crime and what people face if they commit a crime.
“I remember what Jackson and Hinds County used to be, and I know we can go back to (that),” she said at the Hinds County Democratic Executive Committee’s district attorney candidates forum on Sept. 24. “I remember the glory days. My platform is ‘Together we can,’ because I know together we can. It takes all of us. We can’t bring it to an abrupt stop, but we can slow it down, stop it and turn it around together on Nov. 3.”
Candidate Qualifications:
- Juris Doctor from Mississippi Christian University School of Law
- Current assistant district attorney for Hinds County
- Former chief prosecutor for the City of Jackson
- Worked as a civil rights attorney working on behalf of Mississippians with mental illnesses.
- Investigated welfare fraud as the Mississippi Department of Human Services’ deputy inspector general
Website: wendyforda2026.com
Social Media: Facebook
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