Don Hartness | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Mississippi State Senate from the 42nd district | |
Member | |
| Assumed office January 6, 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Robin Robinson |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Republican |
Don Hartness is an American politician who was elected as a member of the Mississippi State Senate for the 42nd district. A member of the Republican Party,Hartness was elected in a special election in 2025. [1] [2]
Hartness is from Ellisville,Mississippi. [3] He is an Army veteran and a former president of a nonprofit veterans’organization. [4] He is known as "The Flag Man," as he is often featured in news stories carrying the U.S. flag. [4] [5]
Hartness first ran for election in 2023 in the 42nd district,which was based in Jones County. [6] He lost narrowly to State Rep. Robin Robinson,who was considered the more moderate of the two. [7] [8] Following court-ordered redistricting,he ran again in the 2025 special elections against Robinson,who was now the incumbent state senator. Hartness won in a landslide with over 70 percent of the vote. Analysts pointed to Robinson voting in favor of redistricting,which split up Jones County by placing Ellisville,home to previous state senator and far-right firebrand Chris McDaniel,in the nearby Democratic 34th district. [9] [4]
He supported the second version of the Flag of Mississippi before it was replaced due to its Confederate symbolism. [3]
He has voiced support for Congressional term limits. [10]
Don Hartness of Ellisville, walks around the Capitol carrying the current Mississippi state flag and the American flag, Saturday, June 27, 2020, in Jackson, Miss.