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Shakita Taylor

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Shakita Taylor
Image of Shakita Taylor

Candidate, Mississippi State Senate District 44

Elections and appointments
Next election

November 4, 2025

Education

High school

Madison Central High School

Bachelor's

Rust College, 2006

Law

Mississippi College School of Law, 2008

Personal
Religion
Christian
Profession
Lawyer
Contact

Shakita Taylor (Democratic Party) is running in a special election to the Mississippi State Senate to represent District 44. She is on the ballot in the special general election on November 4, 2025. The Democratic primary for this office on August 5, 2025, was canceled.

Taylor completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Shakita Taylor earned a bachelor's degree from Rust College in 2006 and a law degree from the Mississippi College School of Law in 2008. Her career experience includes working as a lawyer.[1]

Elections

2025

See also: Mississippi state legislative special elections, 2025

General election

Special general election for Mississippi State Senate District 44

Incumbent Chris Johnson and Shakita Taylor are running in the special general election for Mississippi State Senate District 44 on November 4, 2025.

Candidate
Image of Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson (R)
Image of Shakita Taylor
Shakita Taylor (D) Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Shakita Taylor advanced from the special Democratic primary for Mississippi State Senate District 44.

Republican primary election

Special Republican primary for Mississippi State Senate District 44

Incumbent Chris Johnson defeated Christopher Lott in the special Republican primary for Mississippi State Senate District 44 on August 5, 2025.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson
 
53.8
 
2,288
Christopher Lott
 
46.2
 
1,967

Total votes: 4,255
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Shakita Taylor completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Taylor's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

I am a 2009 graduate of Mississippi College School of Law and a daughter of a military veteran. For the past 13 years, I’ve operated my own law firm here in Hattiesburg, where I also serve as a public defender. Most importantly, I’m someone who understands the real-life challenges that families in our community face every day. ​
  • Empowering Local Voices.

    My campaign is about the members of the communities I serve. I'm committed to amplifying the voices of our community and making sure every person is heard, valued, and represented. By building strong relationships and encouraging real conversations, I'm creating a space for inclusive dialogue and collaborative decision-making that reflects the heart of District 44.

  • Uniting through Faith. Faith is at the heart of this campaign. It shapes my values, guides my actions, and reminds me of the power of service and community. I believe that faith-based initiatives foster unity, compassion, and understanding that brings people together across differences. Together, we can build a community where faith strengthens our bonds and paves the way for a more just, hopeful, and harmonious Mississippi.
  • Progress-Driven Policies to Build a Stronger Tomorrow. My campaign is rooted in action not just words. I plan to spend time crafting and championing policies that address real issues, spark positive change, and move District 44 toward a brighter, more inclusive future. I ready to build strong future together: one step, one voice, one policy at a time.
I am most passionate about education and mental health issues.
Yes. Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change by Stacey Abrams.
The most important characteristic are honesty, dedication to hard work, and the ability to advocate effectively. I possess all those skills. I have advocated for clients over the past twelve years as an attorney in chancery court and as a public defender.
The core responsibility of an elected official is to advocate for the needs of the community in which they serve and to at all time places the needs of the whole over personal preferences.
Kroger. I was a cashier in high school.
State legislatures and the Governor should work in tandem to secure a stronger Mississippi for all. In the event that what is best for Mississippi becomes disputed between the entities I believe the duty of legislators to advocate for the people of Mississippi should come before personal relationships.
Education and Judiciary.
I believe that financial transparency and government accountability are unfortunately at an all time low. With the right leadership this district can get back on track.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.

See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 30, 2025


Current members of the Mississippi State Senate
Leadership
Senators
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
Hob Bryan (D)
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
District 22
District 23
District 24
Vacant
District 25
District 26
Vacant
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
Jeff Tate (R)
District 34
District 35
District 36
District 37
District 38
District 39
District 40
District 41
District 42
District 43
District 44
John Polk (R)
District 45
District 46
District 47
District 48
District 49
District 50
District 51
District 52
Republican Party (36)
Democratic Party (14)
Vacancies (2)