By Sabrina Simms

NATCHEZ — Woodville resident and Natchez native Holmes Sturgeon qualified to run for circuit court judge against Debra Blackwell for the second seat of Mississippi’s Sixth Judicial District.

That makes two candidates eligible to fill Judge Forrest “Al” Johnson’s seat — retiring this year. Sitting Judge Lillie Blackmon Sanders will be running unopposed for the district’s first seat after the qualification deadline passed Friday.

Sturgeon said he feels highly qualified for the job and has practiced in a variety of courts in both Wilkinson and Adams County for 30 years.

“I like to help people and have always wanted to be the judge — particularly circuit judge — since I was a little boy,” Sturgeon said. “I’m good at conducting court procedure and very familiar with the rules of evidence.”

Sturgeon has served as a member of the Mississippi Bar Association, former president of the Natchez Bar Association and is the current prosecuting attorney for Wilkinson County since 1989.

He devotes much of his practice to work in the chancery courts of South Mississippi and handles probate, real estate closing and all types of real estate work, bankruptcy and select personal injury cases and general litigation.

Sturgeon said he believes in a fair trial as well as a fair campaign.

“I plan to run a completely clean campaign,” he said. “I plan to be a fair and impartial judge and apply to the laws of this state completely, fairly and justly. I’m a courteous person, and I intend to be very firm and very decisive in my decisions.”

The circuit judge election is Nov. 6.