NATCHEZ — Former Dist. 37 State Sen. Melanie Sojourner announced Wednesday her intention to run for the Mississippi Senate District 37 seat being vacated at the end of the year by Sen. Bob Dearing, D-Natchez.

Dearing, who last week announced his intention not to seek another term, has held the position every term since 1980, with the exception of one term when Sojourner beat him in 2011. Dearing then defeated Sojourner in the 2015 election.

Milt Burris is the only other candidate to have filed with the Mississippi Republican Party for the District 37 Senate seat as of Jan. 4, the latest date for which the Mississippi Republican Party has updated the party’s qualifying candidates list.

Incumbent Dist. 97 Mississippi State Rep. Sam C. Mims V, R-McComb, is the only other area state office candidate to file his candidacy with the Mississippi Republican Party so far.

As for Democratic Party candidates, incumbent Dist. 38 Mississippi Sen. Tammy Witherspoon, D-Magnolia, has announced her intention to run for re-election as have incumbent Dist. 94 State Rep. Robert Johnson, D-Natchez, and incumbent Dist. 96 State Rep. Angela Cockerham, D-Magnolia.

Mississippi Democratic Party headquarters in Jackson has not made any Democratic Party candidate filings public.

Candidates for county seats, such as circuit clerk, sheriff, supervisors and tax collectors must file in their respective counties’ circuit clerk’s offices.

Statewide candidates running as either Republicans or Democrats must file paperwork with the party headquarters in Jackson since they will first run in the party primaries statewide.

The deadline for candidates to qualify for any state or county seats is 5 p.m. March 1.

Party primaries will be held Aug 6 and any necessary runoffs will be Aug. 27.

The general election will be Nov. 5 and necessary runoffs will be Nov. 26.