Appeals Court Judge Jimmy Maxwell, who has Calhoun County ties, has announced he will not be running for the U.S. House of Representatives.
Jimmy Maxwell
“After carefully weighing the realities and rigors of modern congressional life, I will not be a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives this year,” Maxwell said in a written statement. “Any excitement of possibly representing the First District in Washington D.C. was a distant second to the importance of being closely involved in my young children’s lives.”
“I admit the idea of running for Congress was tempting, but a shot at winning a political race is never itself a valid reason to run—particularly when you are passionate about your current work. And I truly enjoy serving North Mississippi in our judiciary. I hope those who encouraged me to run and pledged their support will understand my decision. If there is a race in my near future, it will be one that keeps my family in Mississippi and will likely be for higher judicial office.”
Maxwell lives in Oxford and represents twenty-three counties in North Mississippi on the Mississippi Court of Appeals. He is the son of Bebe and James Maxwell of Derma.
He was appointed to the court by Governor Haley Barbour in 2009, and has twice been elected since. Before joining the court, Maxwell served as Assistant United States Attorney with the United States Department of Justice, prosecuting public corruption, white collar fraud, drug trafficking, and a variety of other crimes in the Northern District of Mississippi.