Mississippi
Senator Roger Wicker Wicker grew up in Pontotoc, Mississippi, where his father was a state senator and a circuit judge. As a teenager, he became interested in Republican politics. He was a page in the U.S. House and campaigned doorto-door for Sen. Thad Cochran in his first race for Congress. At Ole Miss, Wicker was associated student body president and went on to get his law degree there. He then served for four years in the Air Force, remaining in the Reserve until 2004. In 1980, he worked for Sen. Trent Lott on the House Rules Committee. In 1982, Wicker set up a law practice in Mississippi and was the county public defender in Tupelo. In 1987, he was elected to the state Senate, where he helped draft the state s strict abortion law and was also a leading advocate of government-sponsored vouchers for private school tuition. In 1994, Wicker ran for and won a seat in the House, where he compiled a solidly conservative voting record. He was appointed in 2007 as Mississippi s junior senator won a special election to the seat in 2008 and then won a full six-year term in 2012. He has been part of the core of Senate Republicans opposed to most of President Obama s initiatives, and became chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee in 2015. Wicker took over the Armed Services Committee's seapower subcommittee and became chairman of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee's panel on technology and the Internet, focusing on getting more broadband access in rural areas. Wicker introduced a bill to overturn Roe v. Wade and called the health care overhaul the great fight for the rest of this term, maybe our lifetimes. After Congress voted to repeal don t ask, don t tell, Wicker and James Inhofe introduced a bill forbidding same-sex marriages on military bases. Currently: Senator, MS Elected: 2007 Education: U. of MS, B.A., 1973, J.D., 1975 Religion: Baptist Family: Married (Gayle), 3 children, 4 grandchildren Contact: (202) 224-6253 555 Dirksen Senate Office Washington, DC 20510 Strongly opposes abortion Strongly favors gun rights Strongly opposes sanctuary cities Voted against the confirmation of John Brennan as director of the CIA and Loretta Lynch as US attorney general Voted against establishing net neutrality Senate Committee on Committee on Armed Services Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Senate Committee on Rules and Administration 2012 General Roger Wicker (R) Votes: 709,626 Percent: 57.2% Albert Gore, Jr. (D) Votes: 503,467 Percent: 40.6% Sources: National Journal Research, 2017; Ballotpedia, 2017.
Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Republican, is a former member of the Mississippi State Senate. She made Mississippi history by being the first women elected to the statewide position in 1999. She served three terms for district 39 and held the position of Senate Agriculture Committee chair for eight years. Hyde-Smith built a reputation as a dedicated advocate of farmers and ranchers in Mississippi, authoring legislation to protect the agriculture industry by defending property rights, endorsing right to farm legislation, and working to increase country-of-origin labeling requirements. In addition to serving as the chair of the Agriculture Committee, Hyde-Smith was a member of several other committees, including the Appropriations; Constitution; Correction; Elections; Forestry; Public Health and Welfare; Veterans and Military Affairs; and Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks committees. In 2010, during her tenure in the state Senate, Hyde-Smith switched parties from Democratic to Republican; nonetheless, she received the highest grade for a strong pro-business and fiscally conservative voting record from the Business and Industry Political Education Committee. After serving as senator, Hyde-Smith was elected Mississippi commissioner of agriculture and commerce in 2011 and took office in January 2012. In this position, she worked to promote equity in the marketplace and protect Mississippians through sound regulatory practices. She has been honored several times for her work as a legislator and agricultural advocate. Some of the awards she earned include the Agriculture Legislator of the Year from the Mississippi Association of Conservation Districts and the Ambassador Award from the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation. Hyde-Smith was appointed to the U.S. Senate by Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant to succeed Republican Thad Cochran, who stepped down from his Senate seat on April 1 due to health issues. Currently: Senator, MS Appointed: 2018 Education: Copiah-Lincoln Comm. Col.; U. of Southern MS Religion: Baptist Family: Married (Mike), 1 child Contact: (202) 224-5054 G12 Dirksen Senate Office Washington, DC 20510 Strongly favors Second Amendment rights Strongly opposes abortion Strongly favors protecting the agriculture industry Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Senate Committee on Appropriations Senate Committee on Rules and Administration Appointed N/A Votes: Percent: N/A Votes: Percent: Sources: Sean Sullivan and Josh Dawsey, Mississippi governor appoints Cindy Hyde-Smith to the Senate and draws a backlash from the White House, The Washington Post; Bloomberg Executive Profile; Mississippi Department of Agriculture & Commerce, About Cindy Hyde- Smith, Commissioner of Agriculture & Commerce.
Congressman Trent Kelly Republican Trent Kelly won the June 2, 2015, special election in the 1st District. He succeeded Rep. Alan Nunnelee, who died in February. In this heavily Republican district, the key event was Kelly's narrow victory in the 12-candidate Republican field in the May 12 primary. Kelly graduated from the business school and law school at the University of Mississippi. He also got a master's degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Kelly has been in the National Guard since the mid-1980s as an engineer, and has achieved the rank of colonel. He served in Iraq during the Gulf War, then had two tours of duty during the Iraq War, where he commanded 670 troops. After Nunnelee died, 13 candidates filed for the special election. Of the 12 Republicans, not one was from DeSoto County, which is the population center of the district. That led to a wide-open contest, with none of the candidates a big fundraiser. In the "jungle primary," in which the top two candidates go to a runoff unless one of them gets 50 percent of the vote, Walter Zinn, the only Democrat, led with 17.4 percent, Kelly got 16.3 percent, and Tagert finished third with 12.7 percent. In the runoff, Kelly won with 70 percent of the vote. MS-01 Elected: 2015 Education: U. of MS, B.A., 1989, J.D., 1994; U.S. Army War Col., M.A., 2010 Religion: Methodist Family: Married (Sheila), 3 children Contact: (202) 225-4306 1721 Longworth House Office Supports drilling and extraction of oil and natural gas and opposes Obama s environmental regulations Pro-life Opposes restrictions on gun ownership Supports protecting Medicare and reforming Social Security House Committee on Small Business House Committee on Agriculture House Committee on Armed Services Sources: National Journal Almanac, 2017. Trent Kelly (R) Votes: 206,455 Percent: 69.0% Jacob Owens (D) Votes: 83,947 Percent: 28.0%
Congressman Bennie Thompson Bennie Thompson, who was elected in April 1993, has established himself as a liberal Democratic fixture in an otherwise deeply conservative Republican state. He looks out for the needs of his poor, rural district while serving as the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee. Thompson grew up in Bolton, in Hinds County outside Jackson, and graduated from Tougaloo College and Jackson State University. A lifelong grass-roots activist and labor organizer, he successfully encouraged other African-Americans to run for office. Thompson has a solidly liberal voting record. He initially made no particular attempt to win white votes in his district, making almost as few concessions across the racial divide as white lawmakers had earlier. In time, he moderated his votes and reached out to whites, including some of the district s large farmers. He publicly supported GOP Sen. Thad Cochran in Cochran's successful June 2014 runoff against tea party favorite Chris McDaniel. The locus of his legislative activity is the Homeland Security Committee. Thompson has been both the ranking minority member and the chairman in recent years and has focused on the needs of first responders. He also has been increasingly vocal about the growing threat of computerbased attacks and pushed back in 2012 against Republican calls to scale back the Homeland Security Department s role in favor of defense and intelligence agencies. MS-02 Elected: 1993 Education: Tougaloo Col., B.A., 1968; Jackson St. U., M.S., 1972 Religion: Methodist Family: Married (London), 1 child, 2 grandchildren Contact: (202) 225-5876 2466 Rayburn House Office Called for expanding defense against computer-based attacks Supports a ban on assault-style weapons Wants FEMA to remain part of Homeland Security House Committee on Homeland Security Sources: National Journal Almanac, 2017; Ballotpedia,, 2017. Bennie Thompson (D) Votes: 192,343 Percent: 67.1% John Bouie II (R) Votes: 83,542 Percent: 29.1%
Congressman Gregg Harper Gregg Harper, a Republican elected in 2008, is a dependable conservative vote who has impressed his party s leaders, and he has shown a desire to join them in the leadership. Harper was born in Jackson, where his father was a petroleum engineer and his mother was a homemaker. Harper became a Christian after attending a youth rally in high school, and later met his wife, Sidney, at a church function. They have a daughter, Maggie, and a son, Livingston, who suffers from a developmental disorder called fragile X syndrome. Harper has long experience in politics. He was the chairman of the Rankin County Republican Party and worked on several local and state campaigns. He jumped into the primary contest for the House seat in 2008 when GOP Rep. Chip Pickering announced his retirement. In the March 2008 primary, state Sen. Charlie Ross emerged as the top vote-getter with 33%, and Harper finished second with 28%. Because no candidate won more than 50%, the contest went to a runoff in April. Harper won the runoff with 57% of the vote to Ross 43%. In the November general election, Harper faced Democrat Joel Gill and won with 63% of the vote. He had even less trouble in a 2010 rematch with Gill, drawing 68%. Democrats didn t bother to field a candidate against him in 2012. In 2016, Harper beat his opponent Dennis Quinn with 66% of the vote. MS-03 Elected: 2008 Education: MS Col., B.S., 1978; U. of MS, J.D., 1981 Religion: Baptist Family: Married (Sidney), 2 children Contact: (202) 225-5031 2227 Rayburn House Office Pro-life Advocate for increased domestic energy production Supports governmental aid to children with special needs Favors vouchers for school choice House Committee on Administration House Committee on Energy and Commerce Gregg Harper (R) Votes: 209,490 Percent: 66.2% Dennis Quinn (D) Votes: 96,101 Percent: 30.4% Sources: National Journal Almanac, 2016. Ballotpedia 2016.
Congressman Steven Palazzo Republican Steven Palazzo, who upset 21-year incumbent Democrat Gene Taylor in 2010, is a fervent fiscal and social conservative representing an area where Hurricane Katrina caused severe damage. He drew considerable attention for voting against paying Hurricane Sandy claims on the East Coast. After graduating from high school, Palazzo enlisted in the Marines, inspired by his grandfather, who served in the Pacific during World War II. From 1988 to 1996, Palazzo was assigned to the 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company, gathering intelligence and doing tours of duty in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia during the Persian Gulf War. In 2001, he and his wife, Lisa Belvin, started the accounting practice Palazzo & Co., which grew into an international firm specializing in doing individual income tax returns for expatriates. In 2007, Palazzo ran in a special election for the state House and won handily. Two years later, he decided to challenge Taylor for his congressional seat, although Taylor was almost a folk hero in Coastal Mississippi, had one of the most conservative voting records among House Democrats and had spoken out against many of his party s major initiatives. Palazzo won 52% to 47%. In the House, Palazzo joined the Tea Party Caucus. Following the election, Palazzo drew the most attention of the 67 House Republicans who voted against the bill allowing an additional $9.7 billion in government borrowing to pay claims from Sandy, which did considerable damage on the East Coast. He and the others contended the measure should have been offset by spending cuts. He later reversed course after touring Sandy-stricken areas. MS-04 Elected: 2010 Education: U. of Southern MS, B.S., 1994, M.A., 1996 Religion: Roman Catholic Family: Married (Lisa), 3 children Contact: (202) 225-5772 2349 Rayburn House Office Opposes government spending Opposes same-sex marriage Supports free markets Opposed a proposal to end military sponsorships of NASCAR and other sports in July 2012 House Committee on Appropriations Steven Palazzo (R) Votes: 181,323 Percent: 65.0% Mark Gladney (D) Votes: 77,505 Percent: 27.8% Sources: National Journal Almanac, 2016. Ballotpedia 2016.