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

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

Board of Supervisors

Leake County Board of Supervisors

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it now
Supervisor, District 1Kirby G. Nazary source
Supervisor, District 2Joe Andy Helton source
Supervisor, District 3Charlie Luckett source
Supervisor, District 4Michael Sherman source
Supervisor, District 5Chip Jones source

County officers

Leake County Election Commission

OfficeWho holds it now
Election Commissioner, District 1Sandra Grundy source
Election Commissioner, District 2Donna Rawson source
Election Commissioner, District 3Margaret Smith source
Election Commissioner, District 4Linda Sanders source
Election Commissioner, District 5Rose Ann Weathers source

Also elected countywide

OfficeWho holds it now
Chancery ClerkDot Merchant source
Circuit ClerkViktorea Pace source
CoronerA. Earl Adams source
County Prosecuting AttorneyCarmen Wright source
SheriffRandy W. Atkinson source
Tax AssessorLucas Brown source
Tax CollectorLucas Brown source

How many local governments Leake County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 8 local governments in Leake 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)30

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 Leake County

21,319people
40.3median ageU.S.: 38.9
$50,728 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
20.5%below the U.S.: 12.5%
15.7%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$116,800median home valueU.S.: $332,700
6.2%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2.7%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6.3%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
15.5%U.S.: 8.4%
36.8%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
24%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 6.6% · White 46.1% · Black 38.9% · Asian 0.1% · Other or more than one race 8.3% (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 Leake County

2.9%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.2%. Mississippi: 3.3%.
248people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
8,405people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
8,653in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Leake County 0.0%1.9%3.8%5.7%7.7% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)2.9%2488,4058,653
August 20262.6%2288,4358,663
July 20263.2%2798,5548,833
June 20263.5%3118,5048,815
May 20263.0%2678,5538,820
April 20262.5%2168,5248,740
March 20263.4%3018,5238,824
February 20263.9%3448,5238,867
January 20263.3%2868,4938,779
December 20252.6%2298,6058,834
November 20253.1%2718,5468,817
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.2%2898,6678,956
August 20253.7%3328,6418,973
July 20253.9%3598,7579,116
June 20254.2%3818,6489,029
May 20253.4%3038,5958,898
April 20252.8%2508,7078,957
March 20253.4%3058,6628,967
February 20253.6%3268,6198,945
January 20253.5%3228,7859,107
December 20243.2%2868,7529,038
November 20243.2%2818,5668,847
October 20243.1%2748,5638,837
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)3.4%3068,6578,963
20243.0%2618,4618,722
20232.9%2508,2258,475
20223.8%3238,1328,455
20215.2%4428,0578,499
20207.3%6207,8598,479
20195.3%4608,1988,658
20184.8%4098,0558,464
20175.5%4527,8418,293
20165.8%4897,9478,436

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 Leake County

Police staffing

1.69 per 1,000 residents2024, 2 agencies serving 21,327 people.
36sworn 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 (2), 2024
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Leake County Sheriff's Office22216,528
Carthage Police Department1464,799

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 Leake County Chancery Clerk?
Dot Merchant is the Chancery Clerk of Leake County, Mississippi.
Who is the Leake County Circuit Clerk?
Viktorea Pace is the Circuit Clerk of Leake County, Mississippi.
Who is the Leake County Coroner?
A. Earl Adams is the Coroner of Leake County, Mississippi.
Who is the Leake County County Prosecuting Attorney?
Carmen Wright is the County Prosecuting Attorney of Leake County, Mississippi.
Who is the Leake County Election Commissioner, District 1?
Sandra Grundy is the Election Commissioner, District 1 of Leake County, Mississippi.
Who is the Leake County Election Commissioner, District 2?
Donna Rawson is the Election Commissioner, District 2 of Leake County, Mississippi.
Who is the Leake County Election Commissioner, District 3?
Margaret Smith is the Election Commissioner, District 3 of Leake County, Mississippi.
Who is the Leake County Election Commissioner, District 4?
Linda Sanders is the Election Commissioner, District 4 of Leake County, Mississippi.
Who is the Leake County Election Commissioner, District 5?
Rose Ann Weathers is the Election Commissioner, District 5 of Leake County, Mississippi.
Who is the Leake County Sheriff?
Randy W. Atkinson is the Sheriff of Leake County, Mississippi.
Who is the Leake County Tax Assessor?
Lucas Brown is the Tax Assessor of Leake County, Mississippi.
Who is the Leake County Tax Collector?
Lucas Brown is the Tax Collector of Leake County, Mississippi.
Who are the Leake County commissioners?
Kirby G. Nazary (Supervisor, District 1); Joe Andy Helton (Supervisor, District 2); Charlie Luckett (Supervisor, District 3); Michael Sherman (Supervisor, District 4); Chip Jones (Supervisor, District 5).
What is the population of Leake County?
About 21,319 people, with a median age of 40.3; the median household income is $50,728 and 20.5% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Leake County?
2.9% in September 2026 (preliminary): 248 people unemployed in a labor force of 8,653, against 3.2% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Leake County?
8 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal, 1 school district and 3 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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