Mississippi › Desoto County › Mississippi Court of Appeals, District 1, Position 1 (special election)
2 candidates are tracked for Mississippi Court of Appeals, District 1, Position 1 (special election) on the November 3, 2026 ballot: John Weddle and Derek Dewayne Hopson Jr.. Candidate information follows official Desoto County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Special election for the remainder of an eight-year term, called after Gov. Tate Reeves appointed John Weddle to the seat effective October 14, 2024, per the Governor's official announcement. DeSoto County is within Court of Appeals District 1 and this race appears on the county's own official November 3, 2026 candidate listing.
Weddle was appointed to the Mississippi Court of Appeals by Gov. Tate Reeves, with his term beginning October 14, 2024, per the Governor's official announcement. He previously served as District Attorney for the First Circuit Court Judicial District since 2015, as Public Defender for Lee County, and as Municipal Court Judge for Tupelo, and has practiced law since 1995, per the same source. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 9, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for John Weddle.
Derek Dewayne Hopson Jr. appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Mississippi Court of Appeals, District 1, Position 1 (special election), per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 9, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Derek Dewayne Hopson Jr..
