Voters in Forest, Jasper and Jones counties will have a special election on Dec. 22 to fill a vacancy left in Mississippi Senate District 34 by former Sen. Juan Barnett, who retired this summer, Gov. Tate Reeves announced in a press release.

A Democrat from Heidelberg, Barnett, 56, served as the chairman of the Mississippi Senate Corrections Committee from 2020 to 2026. He was also the vice chairman of the Senate Enrolled Bills Committee that prepares bills for the house speaker and lieutenant governor to sign before legislation heads to the governor’s office for approval.

A closeup of Juan Barnett speaking in the legislative chambers
Former Mississippi Sen. Juan Barnett, D-Heidelberg, speaks before lawmakers in the Senate Chamber at the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson, Miss., on April 15, 2026. Barnett resigned his seat and retired on Aug. 31, 2026. MFP Photo by Rogelio V. Solis

In February, Barnett suffered from a stroke that prevented him from working at the Mississippi Capitol for a large part of the 2026 regular session. But he returned in April, when the Legislature was reviewing vetoed bills from the governor, and was present for the two-day special session in July. Barnett resigned from the Senate on Aug. 31.

“Throughout his tenure, he has been a dedicated public servant and a respected member of the Mississippi Senate, particularly through his work on corrections matters,” Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said in an Aug. 31 Facebook post. 

Barnett had served Senate District 34 since 2016. Before that, he was the mayor of Heidelberg from 2001 to 2015. 

The qualifying deadline for candidates in the nonpartisan special election is Oct. 8, 2026. A runoff election would be scheduled for Jan. 19, 2027, if no candidate receives a majority of votes in the special election.

Visit the Mississippi Secretary of State’s website for more information on qualifying to be a candidate in the special elections.

Follow the Mississippi Free Press’ 2026 election coverage at Elections Zone 2026 and read past stories here.

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State Reporter Heather Harrison has won more than a dozen awards for her multi-media journalism work. At Mississippi State University, she studied public relations and broadcast journalism, earning her Communication degree in 2023. For three years, Heather worked at The Reflector student newspaper: first as a staff reporter, then as the news editor and finally, as the editor-in-chief. This is where her passion for politics and government reporting began.
Heather started working at the Mississippi Free Press three days after graduation in 2023. She also worked part time for Starkville Daily News after college covering the Board of Aldermen meetings.
In her free time, Heather likes to sit on the porch, read books and listen to Taylor Swift. A native of Hazlehurst, she now lives in Brandon with her wife and their Boston Terrier, Finley, and calico cat, Ravioli.