One candidate is tracked for Circuit Court Judge, District 16, Place 1, headed to a November 3, 2026 runoff: James 'Jim' Thomas Kitchens Jr.. Candidate information follows official Clay County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
James 'Jim' Thomas Kitchens Jr. is the only name on the ballot for this seat; unopposed candidates still appear on Mississippi ballots, so the race is on the November 3 ballot but is not contested. Voters across the 16th Circuit Court District (Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee, Oktibbeha) vote on this seat. Mississippi judicial races are nonpartisan; if nobody wins a majority, the top two meet in a runoff on December 1, 2026, per the Secretary of State's 2026 elections calendar. Listed from the Secretary of State's official sample ballot.
Trial court judge. A trial judge presides over criminal and civil cases at the first level: bail and pleas, motions, trials, sentencing and civil judgments. Judges are bound by state law and appellate precedent and are barred by judicial conduct rules from campaigning on how they would rule. Most states elect trial judges on a nonpartisan ballot; the term and the courts a judge may sit on vary by state.
This race. Nonpartisan: candidates appear without party labels. The sitting officeholder, James 'Jim' Thomas Kitchens Jr., is on the ballot. One name is on the ballot for this seat.
Mississippi › Clay County › Circuit Court Judge, District 16, Place 1
Nonpartisan Incumbent
James 'Jim' Thomas Kitchens Jr. is the sitting judge of the 16th Circuit Court District (Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee, Oktibbeha), per the Mississippi Judiciary's official directory of circuit court judges and staff. James 'Jim' Thomas Kitchens Jr. is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for that seat, unopposed, per the Mississippi Secretary of State's official sample ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 17, 2026.
Who is running for Circuit Court Judge, District 16, Place 1 in 2026?
One candidate is tracked for Circuit Court Judge, District 16, Place 1, headed to a November 3, 2026 runoff: James 'Jim' Thomas Kitchens Jr.. Candidate information follows official Clay County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
When is the Circuit Court Judge, District 16, Place 1 election in Mississippi?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Mississippi are on the Mississippi election hub at theballotbrief.com.
How do I see my exact Clay County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.
Candidate roster from official Clay County and state election office filings. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.
Cross-check with the official Mississippi election office, or see the full Clay County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.
6 tracked races in Clay County, Mississippi. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.