Covington County, MS elected officials: supervisors, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Covington County: 17 seats on 9 elected bodies.

Board of Supervisors

Covington County Board of Supervisors

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it now
Supervisor, District 1John Sterling Craft source
Supervisor, District 2John Holifield source
Supervisor, District 3Chris Brister source
Supervisor, District 4Fenton Pope source
Supervisor, District 5Arthur Keys source

County officers

Covington County Election Commission

OfficeWho holds it now
Election Commissioner, District 1Mary Glover Walters source
Election Commissioner, District 2Lesia Taormina source
Election Commissioner, District 3Rhonda McCall Purvis source
Election Commissioner, District 4Mary Deloris Thornton source
Election Commissioner, District 5Dorothy A. Magee source

Also elected countywide

OfficeWho holds it now
Chancery ClerkGuy Easterling source
Circuit ClerkMelissa Duckworth source
CoronerChris A. DaQuila source
County Prosecuting AttorneyJohn Alan Buffington source
SheriffDarrell Perkins source
Tax AssessorStarr Miller Hux source
Tax CollectorStarr Miller Hux source

How many local governments Covington County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 7 local governments in Covington County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships30
School districts (school boards)10
Special districts (elected boards)20

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Covington County

18,148people
37.3median ageU.S.: 38.9
$45,051 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
19.8%below the U.S.: 12.5%
17.4%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$105,100median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3.5%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1.1%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6.2%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
9.6%U.S.: 8.4%
34%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
26.7%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 2.6% · White 59.4% · Black 34.8% · Asian 0.2% · Other or more than one race 3% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Covington County

3.5%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.5%. Mississippi: 3.3%.
252people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
6,923people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
7,175in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Covington County 0.0%2.0%3.9%5.9%7.9% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.5%2526,9237,175
August 20263.5%2506,9287,178
July 20264.2%3097,0447,353
June 20264.1%2966,9687,264
May 20263.4%2487,0087,256
April 20263.1%2257,0387,263
March 20263.9%2917,0907,381
February 20264.4%3287,0657,393
January 20263.9%2836,9797,262
December 20253.5%2617,0957,356
November 20253.8%2767,0587,334
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.5%2587,1217,379
August 20254.0%2947,1257,419
July 20254.2%3207,2877,607
June 20254.3%3257,2167,541
May 20253.6%2667,0807,346
April 20253.1%2267,1467,372
March 20253.5%2587,1517,409
February 20254.0%2937,1147,407
January 20253.8%2767,0577,333
December 20243.3%2497,2107,459
November 20243.3%2497,1877,436
October 20243.1%2327,2217,453
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)3.8%2787,1327,410
20243.0%2217,2387,459
20232.9%2157,1237,338
20223.7%2787,1857,463
20215.5%4157,0647,479
20207.5%5576,9187,475
20195.3%3936,9777,370
20185.1%3666,8737,239
20175.5%3976,8597,256
20166.1%4426,8307,272

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Mississippi's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.3% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Police in Covington County

Police staffing

1.83 per 1,000 residents2024, 4 agencies serving 18,036 people.
33sworn officers2024, full-time, as of October 31.
8civilian staff2024, full-time.

2024 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (4), 2024
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Covington County Sheriff's Office19214,623
Collins Police Department1262,251
Mount Olive Police Department10871
Seminary Police Department10291
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2024331.8384
2023311.7274

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Covington County Chancery Clerk?
Guy Easterling is the Chancery Clerk of Covington County, Mississippi.
Who is the Covington County Circuit Clerk?
Melissa Duckworth is the Circuit Clerk of Covington County, Mississippi.
Who is the Covington County Coroner?
Chris A. DaQuila is the Coroner of Covington County, Mississippi.
Who is the Covington County County Prosecuting Attorney?
John Alan Buffington is the County Prosecuting Attorney of Covington County, Mississippi.
Who is the Covington County Election Commissioner, District 1?
Mary Glover Walters is the Election Commissioner, District 1 of Covington County, Mississippi.
Who is the Covington County Election Commissioner, District 2?
Lesia Taormina is the Election Commissioner, District 2 of Covington County, Mississippi.
Who is the Covington County Election Commissioner, District 3?
Rhonda McCall Purvis is the Election Commissioner, District 3 of Covington County, Mississippi.
Who is the Covington County Election Commissioner, District 4?
Mary Deloris Thornton is the Election Commissioner, District 4 of Covington County, Mississippi.
Who is the Covington County Election Commissioner, District 5?
Dorothy A. Magee is the Election Commissioner, District 5 of Covington County, Mississippi.
Who is the Covington County Sheriff?
Darrell Perkins is the Sheriff of Covington County, Mississippi.
Who is the Covington County Tax Assessor?
Starr Miller Hux is the Tax Assessor of Covington County, Mississippi.
Who is the Covington County Tax Collector?
Starr Miller Hux is the Tax Collector of Covington County, Mississippi.
Who are the Covington County commissioners?
John Sterling Craft (Supervisor, District 1); John Holifield (Supervisor, District 2); Chris Brister (Supervisor, District 3); Fenton Pope (Supervisor, District 4); Arthur Keys (Supervisor, District 5).
What is the population of Covington County?
About 18,148 people, with a median age of 37.3; the median household income is $45,051 and 19.8% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Covington County?
3.5% in September 2026 (preliminary): 252 people unemployed in a labor force of 7,175, against 3.5% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Covington County?
7 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal, 1 school district and 2 special district governments.

Officeholders as of May 6, 2026, from the Mississippi Secretary of State's County Offices and Directory; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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