President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced his nomination of James Maxwell and Robert Chamberlin, two Mississippi Supreme Court justices, to vacant federal judicial seats in northern Mississippi. 

Pending Senate confirmation of the nominations, Gov. Tate Reeves will appoint two state high court justices temporarily, then special elections will be held in November of 2026.

Trump made the announcement on Truth Social, his social media platform, where he said the two justices, if confirmed, would uphold the Constitution and the rule of law. Both Chamberlin and Maxwell, through the state Administrative Office of the Court’s public information officer, declined to comment.

The two nominations will go before the U.S. Senate for confirmation. Both of Mississippi’s Republican U.S. senators, Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, commended Trump for nominating the two jurists and said they supported their confirmation. 

“I want to thank President Donald Trump for his nomination of two solid and experienced jurists for the U.S. District Court,” Wicker said in a statement. “I wholeheartedly support Justice Chamberlin and Justice Maxwell and look forward to their speedy confirmation.”

Maxwell earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Mississippi. Former Gov. Haley Barbour in February of 2009 appointed Maxwell to the state Court of Appeals. Maxwell was elected to the post in 2010 and reelected in 2014. Former Gov. Phil Bryant appointed him to the state Supreme Court in January 2016. He was later elected to an eight-year term in November of 2016 and reelected in 2024.

Chamberlin earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Mississippi. He first served as a state circuit court judge for 12 years in the 17th Circuit District. In 2016, he was elected to an open seat on the state Supreme Court and reelected in 2024. 

Before becoming a judge, Chamberlin was a member of the state Senate for five years, representing DeSoto County. 

Chamberlin and Maxwell will replace U.S. District Judges Michael Mills and Sharion Aycock, both of whom decided to take senior status in recent years. 

It’s unclear who Reeves might appoint to fill the vacancies. He has previously filled judicial vacancies on the state Court of Appeals with prosecutors or circuit court judges with prosecutorial experience, such as the appointments of Judge John Weddle and Judge John Emfinger.