JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The Mississippi Senate has two seats to fill ahead of the 2026 Legislative Session.

People who live in District 26, a seat previously held by Jackson Mayor John Horhn, will soon have a new state senator for the first time in more than 30 years. Several people have announced they’re running for the seat. Letitia Johnson is one of the candidates, and she was out on the campaign trail on Friday in order to get 50 signatures.

“The signatures are basically for qualifying to make sure that the people in the community have signed on to for you to run for this particular position,” Johnson said.

She’s no stranger to the district, which includes parts of Hinds and Madison counties. Johnson said she’s lived in District 26 for more than 30 years.

Johnson said she wants to make sure there’s plenty of access to healthcare in the district, as well as helping people work their way to the middle class and making sure education is funded enough to meet the needs of the school districts.

“We need to make sure that we’re really filling in those gaps, so that it doesn’t matter whether you live in a poor community, are rich community, you get a quality education,” she said.

Each candidate has to turn in documents and pay fees to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office by the August 21 qualifying deadline. The special election will be held on November 4.