3 candidates are tracked for Circuit Court Judge, District 20, Place 1, headed to a November 3, 2026 runoff: Sarah Butler, Scott Gilbert and Carter Smith. Candidate information follows official Madison County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Sarah Butler, Scott Gilbert and Carter Smith are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for this seat. Voters across the 20th Circuit Court District (Madison, Rankin) 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.
Mississippi › Madison County › Circuit Court Judge, District 20, Place 1
Top priorities
Per the campaign site.
Sarah Butler has worked as a circuit judges' staff attorney in Mississippi's court system for more than 13 years, managing dockets and handling civil and criminal mediations, per her campaign site. A lifelong Rankin County resident, she is running for Circuit Judge in Circuit District 20, serving Madison and Rankin counties, per the same source.
Top priorities
Per the campaign site.
Scott Gilbert is a candidate for Circuit Court Judge, Circuit District 20, serving Madison and Rankin counties, per his campaign site. The site does not detail his professional background as of September 17, 2026.
Carter Smith has nearly 20 years of jury trial experience in the Circuit Court, District 20 (Madison and Rankin counties), serving as both a prosecutor and a defense attorney, per his campaign site. This race is headed to a November 3, 2026 runoff among three candidates, per Madison County election filings.
Who is running for Circuit Court Judge, District 20, Place 1 in 2026?
3 candidates are tracked for Circuit Court Judge, District 20, Place 1, headed to a November 3, 2026 runoff: Sarah Butler, Scott Gilbert and Carter Smith. Candidate information follows official Madison County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
When is the Circuit Court Judge, District 20, 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 Madison 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 Madison 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 Madison County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.
6 tracked races in Madison County, Mississippi. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.