Mississippi State Senate

Mississippi State Senate
Mississippi Legislature
Type
Type	Upper house
Term limits	None
History
New session started	January 2, 2024
Leadership
President	Delbert Hosemann (R) since January 14, 2020
President pro tempore	Dean Kirby (R) since January 7, 2020
Minority Leader	Derrick Simmons (D) since July 31, 2017
Structure
Seats	52
Political groups	Republican (34)    Democratic (18)
Length of term	4 years
Authority	Article IV, Mississippi Constitution
Salary	$10,000/year + per diem
Elections
Last election	November 7, 2023 (52 seats)
Next election	November 2, 2027 (52 seats)
Redistricting	Legislative Control
Meeting place
State Senate Chamber Mississippi State Capitol Jackson, Mississippi
Website
Mississippi State Senate
Rules
Senate Rules

The Mississippi State Senate is the upper house of the Mississippi Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The Senate, along with the lower Mississippi House of Representatives, convenes at the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson. The Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi serves as President of the Senate.

The Senate is composed of 52 senators representing an equal number of constituent districts, with 56,947 people per district (2020 census). In the current legislative session, the Republican Party holds 34 seats while the Democratic Party holds 18 seats, creating a Republican trifecta in the state government.

The Senate can confirm or reject gubernatorial appointments to the state cabinet, commissions, and boards and can create and amend bills.

Membership, terms and elections

According to the current Mississippi Constitution, the Senate is to be composed of no more than 52 members elected for four-year terms with no term limits. ^[1] Districts are reapportioned to reflect population changes, and per the 2020 census, each district has about 56,947 people. ^{[2] [3]} To qualify for election, candidates must be at least 25 years old, a qualified elector of the state for the past four years, and be a resident of the district or county they are running to represent for the past two years. ^[4] All candidates must pay either a $250 fee to their state party executive committee or to the Mississippi Secretary of State if they are running as an independent. Independent candidates must collect 50 signatures to run. ^[4] Elections to the Senate are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November during the state general elections. ^[5]

If a vacancy occurs in the Senate before June 1, the governor must order an election within 30 days after the vacancy and give a 40-day notice to the appropriate counties where the seat is located. No special election occurs if the vacancy happens after June 1. ^[6]

Powers and process

The state legislature is constitutionally-mandated to meet for 125 days every four years at the start of a new term and 90 days in other years. ^{[2] [7]} The Senate reconvenes on a yearly basis on the Tuesday after the first Monday in January. ^[2] While the Mississippi House of Representatives can extend its sessions, the Senate cannot. ^[7]

The Senate has the authority to determine rules of its own proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and expel a member with a two-thirds vote of its membership. ^[8] A majority in the Senate establishes a quorum, though less members can adjourn, ^[9] though not for more than 3 days without the House's consent. ^[10] Bills can originate in the Senate and must undergo three readings in each house, unless two-thirds of the house dispenses with the rules. ^[11] Amendments to bills must be approved by both houses. ^[12] The Senate, in conjunction with the Mississippi House of Representatives, draws and approves both congressional and district boundaries. The congressional boundaries can be vetoed by the governor, while the district boundaries, created by a joint resolution between both houses, cannot be vetoed by the governor. ^[13]

The governor has the power to veto legislation, but legislators can override the veto with a two-thirds decision. ^[14] The Senate tries all impeachments referred to it by the House of Representatives. ^[15] All gubernatorial appointments are subject to approval of the Senate. ^[16]

Leadership

The President of the Senate is Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann, who is Republican. The President pro tempore is Republican Dean Kirby. ^[17] The Minority Leader is Democrat Derrick Simmons. ^[18]

The Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi serves as the President of the Senate ^[19] and has the sole ability to appoint the chairmanships or vice chairmanships of various Senate committees, regardless of party size. ^[20] They can only cast a legislative vote if required to break a tie. ^[19] In the absence of the lieutenant governor, the President Pro Tempore presides over the Senate. ^[21] The President Pro Tempore is elected by a majority of senators present, with following elections for the senate secretary, seargent-at-arms, and a doorkeeper. ^[22] The President Pro Tempore chairs the Senate Rules Committee, oversees the day-to-day operations of the Senate staff, and assumes the responsibilities of the president in their absence. ^[23]

Party composition

Affiliation	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total
	Democratic	Republican		Vacant
End of previous legislature (2023)	16	36	52	0
Start of current legislature (2024)	16	36	52	0
January 6, 2025 [24]		35	51	1
April 16, 2025 [25]	16	36	52	0
June 30, 2025 [26]	14		50	2
January 6, 2026 [27]	18	34	52	0
Latest voting share	34.6%	65.4%

History

See also: Political party strength in Mississippi

Following the 2003 general elections, the Democratic Party retained their majority in the Senate until a party switch by Democratic Senator James "Shannon" Walley of Leakesville in January 2007 placed the chamber's party composition at 26 Republicans to 26 Democrats. ^[28] However, because Lieutenant Governor Amy Tuck was a Republican, this gave Republicans control of the Senate for the first time since Reconstruction and a de facto majority. ^[29] In the 2007 general elections, Democrats won back control of the chamber; ^[30] however party switches from Senators Nolan Mettetal in February 2008 and Cindy Hyde-Smith in December 2010 once again gave the Republicans a de facto majority, with Lieutenant Governor Phil Bryant holding the tiebreaker vote. ^{[31] [32]} After another party switch in February 2011 from Ezell Lee, the Republicans expanded their majority to 27–24, with one vacancy. ^[33]

Republicans continued to expand this majority with the 2011 general elections, where they pushed their majority to 30-22; ^[34] however a party switch from Gary Tollison in November 2011 and Nickey Browning in March 2013 further expanded this to a 32-20 majority. ^{[35] [34]} This gave Republicans a supermajority for tax bills and bond issuances. ^{[36] [37]} Republicans sought to continue to grow their majority in the 2015 general elections, and while initial assessments assumed they had expanded it, ^[38] the margin remained the same. ^{[39] [40]} In late 2017, they picked up a seat following Bill Stone's retirement, increasing their majority to 33-19. ^[41] Four years later, Republicans picked up three seats in the 2019 general elections, creating a 36-16 veto-proof supermajority. ^{[27] [42]}

Republicans maintained their 36-16 supermajority in the 2023 general elections. ^[43] However, the map used in the 2023 elections was later overturned by a federal court because it violated Voting Rights Act by trying to dilute Black representation. ^[44] As a result, a new map was eventually drawn, and special elections were ordered for November 2025. ^[45] Democrats picked up two seats in the 2025 special elections and broke the Republican supermajority for the first time since 2019. ^[27]

As of 2026, the Mississippi Senate has 34 Republican members and 18 Democratic members. ^[46]

Members of the Mississippi Senate (2024–2028)

District	Name	Party	Assumed office	Counties represented	Notes
1	Michael McLendon	Rep	2020	DeSoto, Tate
2	Theresa Gillespie Isom	Dem	2026	DeSoto, Tunica
3	Kathy Chism	Rep	2020	Benton, Marshall, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Union
4	Rita Potts Parks	Rep	2012	Alcorn, Tippah
5	Daniel Sparks	Rep	2020	Itawamba, Prentiss, Tishomingo
6	Chad McMahan	Rep	2016	Lee
7	Hob Bryan	Dem	1984	Itawamba, Lee, Monroe
8	Benjamin Suber	Rep	2020	Calhoun, Chickasaw, Lafayette, Pontotoc, Yalobusha
9	Nicole Akins Boyd	Rep	2020	Lafayette, Panola
10	Neil Whaley	Rep	2018	Lafayette, Marshall, Tate, Union
11	Reginald Jackson	Dem	2024	Coahoma, DeSoto, Quitman, Tate, Tunica
12	Derrick Simmons	Dem	2011	Bolivar, Coahoma, Washington
13	Sarita Simmons	Dem	2020	Bolivar, Sunflower, Tallahatchie
14	Lydia Chassaniol	Rep	2007	Attala, Carroll, Grenada, Leflore, Montgomery
15	Bart Williams	Rep	2020	Choctaw, Montgomery, Oktibbeha, Webster
16	Angela Turner-Ford	Dem	2013	Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee, Oktibbeha
17	Charles Younger	Rep	2014	Lowndes, Monroe, Oktibbeha
18	Lane Taylor	Rep	2025	Leake, Neshoba, Winston
19	Kevin Blackwell	Rep	2016	DeSoto
20	Josh Harkins	Rep	2012	Rankin
21	Bradford Blackmon	Dem	2024	Attala, Holmes, Leake, Madison
22	Joseph C. Thomas	Dem	2020	Humphreys, Madison, Sharkey, Yazoo	Previously served from 2004–2008
23	Briggs Hopson	Rep	2008	Issaquena, Madison, Warren, Yazoo
24	Justin Pope	Dem	2026	Leflore, Panola, Tallahatchie
25	J. Walter Michel	Rep	2016	Hinds, Madison	Previously served from 1999–2011
26	Kamesha Mumford	Dem	2026	Hinds, Madison
27	Hillman Terome Frazier	Dem	1993	Hinds
28	Sollie Norwood	Dem	2013	Hinds
29	David Blount	Dem	2008	Hinds
30	Dean Kirby	Rep	1992	Rankin
31	Tyler McCaughn	Rep	2020	Lauderdale, Newton, Rankin, Scott
32	Rod Hickman	Dem	2021	Kemper, Lauderdale, Noxubee, Winston
33	Jeff Tate	Rep	2020	Clarke, Lauderdale
34	Juan Barnett	Dem	2016	Covington, Jasper, Jones
35	Andy Berry	Rep	2024	Copiah, Jefferson Davis, Lawrence, Simpson
36	Brian Rhodes	Rep	2024	Rankin, Smith
37	Albert Butler	Dem	2010	Adams, Claiborne, Copiah, Franklin, Hinds, Jefferson	Represented district 36 prior to 2024
38	Gary Brumfield	Dem	2024	Adams, Amite, Pike, Walthall, Wilkinson
39	Jason Barrett	Rep	2020	Amite, Franklin, Lawrence, Lincoln, Pike
40	Angela Burks Hill	Rep	2012	Pearl River, Stone
41	Joey Fillingane	Rep	2007	Covington, Lamar, Marion, Walthall
42	Don Hartness	Rep	2026	Forrest, Jones
43	Dennis DeBar	Rep	2016	George, Greene, Wayne
44	Chris Johnson	Rep	2020	Forrest, Lamar, Perry
45	Johnny DuPree	Dem	2026	Forrest
46	Philman Ladner	Rep	2024	Hancock, Harrison
47	Mike Seymour	Rep	2016	Harrison, Jackson, Stone
48	Mike Thompson	Rep	2020	Hancock, Harrison
49	Joel Carter	Rep	2018	Harrison
50	Scott DeLano	Rep	2020	Harrison
51	Jeremy England	Rep	2020	Jackson
52	Brice Wiggins	Rep	2012	Jackson

List of presidents pro tempore

Since 1833 the Senate has had 55 Presidents pro tempore: ^[47]

	Name		County/District	Term of service
1		Charles Lynch		1833–1834
2		Parmenas Briscoe	Claiborne	1834–1836
3		William Van Norman [48]	Amite	1836–1837
4		Alexander McNutt		1837–1838
5		Adam Lewis Bingaman		1838–1840
6		George Baldwin Augustus	Noxubee	1840–1842
7		Jesse Speight		1842–1843
8		George T. Swann		1846–1848
9		Dabney Lipscomb	Lowndes	1848–1851
10		James Whitfield		1851–1854
11		John J. Pettus		1854–1858
12		James Drane		1858–1865
13		John M. Simonton		1865–1869
14		William M. Hancock	9th	1870–1872
15		Joseph Bennett	11th	1872–1874
16		Finis H. Little	22nd	1874–1875
17		John Marshall Stone		1875–1876
18		William H. Sims	Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Clay	1876–1878
19		Reuben O. Reynolds	Monroe, Chickasaw	1878–1888
20		J. P. Walker	20th (Lauderdale)	1888–1890
21		Robert Aaron Dean	7th	1890–1896
22		James T. Harrison	25th	1896–1900
23		John R. Dinsmore	16th	1900
24		William Gwin Kiger [49]	12th	1902–1904
25		E. H. Moore	30th	1904–1908
26		John L. Hebron Jr.	29th	1908–1912
27		Albert C. Anderson	36th	1912–1916
28		Carroll Kendrick	37th	1916–1920
29		John Fatheree	3rd	1920–1922
30		Fred B. Smith [50]	36th	1922–1924
31		Mark Perrin Lowrey Love	42nd	1924–1928
32		Homer Casteel [51]	18th	1928–1932
33		W. C. Adams	37th	1932–1936
34		John Culkin	12th	1936–1940
35		W. B. Roberts	30th	1940
36		Oscar O. Wolfe Jr.	30th	1941–1952
37		James Orville Clark	37th	1952–1956
38		Earl Evans Jr.	18th	1956–1960
39		George Yarbrough		1960–1968
40		Merle F. Palmer		1968–1971
41		Marion Smith	30th	1971–1972
42		B. G. Perry		1972–1976
43		William B. Alexander	12th	1976–1984
44		Thomas Norman Brooks		1984–1985
45		Glen Deweese	33rd	1986–1992
46		Ollie Mohamed	21st	1992–1994
47		Pud Graham		1994–1996
48		Tommy Gollott	50th	1996–2000
49		Travis Little		2000–2008
50		Billy Hewes		2008–2012
51		Terry W. Brown		2012–2015
52		Giles Ward	18th	2015–2016
53		Terry C. Burton	31st	2016–2019
54		Gray Tollison	9th	2019–2020
55		Dean Kirby	30th	2020–Present

See also

• Mississippi State Capitol
• Mississippi Legislature
• Mississippi House of Representatives
• List of former members of the Mississippi State Senate
• List of Mississippi state legislatures

References

1. Article 12, Section 254, Constitution of Mississippi, 1890
2. Watson, Michael (2021). "Legislature" (PDF). Mississippi Blue Book 2020-2024. Mississippi Secretary of State.
3. "Mississippi's Population Declined 0.2%". Census.gov. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
4. Watson, Michael (2021). "Elections" (PDF). 2020-2024 Mississippi Blue Book. Mississippi Secretary of State.
5. Article 4, Section 102, Constitution of Mississippi, 1890
6. MS Code § 23-15-851 (2013)
7. Article 4, Section 36, Constitution of Mississippi, 1890
8. Article 4, Section 55, Constitution of Mississippi, 1890
9. Article 4, Section 54, Constitution of Mississippi, 1890
10. Article 4, Section 57, Constitution of Mississippi, 1890
11. Article 4, Section 59, Constitution of Mississippi, 1890
12. Article 4, Section 60, Constitution of Mississippi, 1890
13. "Mississippi - All About Redistricting". All About Redistricting. Loyola Law School. June 18, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
14. Article 4, Section 72, Constitution of Mississippi, 1890
15. Article 4, Section 49, Constitution of Mississippi, 1890
16. Mississippi Code § 7-1-35
17. "Dean Kirby elected Senate president pro tempore". WJTV. Jackson. January 7, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
18. Criss, Jack (October 10, 2022). "Senator Derrick Simmons". Delta Business Journal. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
19. Article 5, Section 129, Constitution of Mississippi, 1890
20. Harrison, Bobby (April 7, 2019). "Lieutenant governor's power derives from senators; lawmaker says chamber must take back its authority". Mississippi Today. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
21. Article 4, Section 39, Constitution of Mississippi, 1890
22. MS Code § 5-1-15 (2013)
23. Harrison, Bobby (January 2, 2024). "Dean Kirby elected to second term as Senate's second-in-command". Mississippi Today. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
24. Jenifer Branning (District 23) resigned to join the Mississippi Supreme Court.
25. Republican Lane Taylor
26. Democrat David Lee Jordan (District 24) resigned to spend time with his family, and Democrat John Horhn (District 24) resigned after being elected mayor of Jackson.
27. 1 2 3 Pittman, Ashton (November 6, 2025). "Mississippi Democrats Break Republican Senate Supermajority, Flipping 3 Legislative Seats". Mississippi Free Press . Retrieved January 8, 2026.
28. "Leakesville state rep switches parties". WDAM . January 15, 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
29. Pender, Geoff (January 12, 2007). "State Senate numbers are equal: GOP, Dems even after Walley switch". The Sun Herald . p. 2.
30. Taggart, Andy; Nash, Jere (November 11, 2007). "The 2008 Mississippi Legislature: Is it 'back to the future?'". Clarion-Ledger . p. 59.
31. "State Sen. Mettetal joins Republican Party". The Natchez Democrat. January 30, 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
32. "Sen. Hyde-Smith joins Republicans". Daily Leader. December 29, 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
33. Farrell, David A. (February 25, 2011). "Lee switches parties". The Picayune Item. pp. 1, 3.
34. Amy, Jeff (November 11, 2011). "Speaker's race gears up with House balance unclear". The Vicksburg Post . Associated Press. p. 3.
35. Pender, Geoff (March 27, 2013). "State Sen. Browning switches to Republiacn Party". Clarion-Ledger . pp. B3.
36. Salter, Sid (November 13, 2011). "Guard changes at Capitol". The Picayune Item . p. 4.
37. "Mississippi Democrats appear to break Republican supermajority in state Senate". POLITICO . Associated Press. November 6, 2025. Retrieved January 10, 2026. In Mississippi, a three-fifths majority of the House and Senate is needed to pass tax bills or issue bonds to borrow money. A two-thirds majority in both chambers is needed to approve proposed amendments to the state constitution and override a veto from the governor.
38. "How it all shook out". Magnolia Tribune . November 5, 2015. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
39. Pettus, Emily Wagster (January 19, 2016). "Mississippi Senate confirms Dearing". Clarion-Ledger . p. 3.
40. Pender, Geoff (November 5, 2015). "Legislature turns deeper shade of red". Clarion-Ledger .
41. "Republicans win two runoffs for state legislative seats". Clarion-Ledger . November 30, 2017. p. 6.
42. Harrison, Bobby (November 8, 2019). "Democrats now control nothing statewide in Miss. govt". The Greenwood Commonwealth . p. 12.
43. "Mississippi Election Results". The New York Times . November 7, 2023. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved January 10, 2026.
44. Harrison, Heather (April 16, 2025). "Court: New Mississippi Senate Map Still Dilutes Black Voting". Mississippi Free Press . Retrieved January 10, 2026.
45. Harrison, Heather (May 16, 2025). "Court Approves Lawmakers' Redrawn Mississippi Senate District Map". Mississippi Free Press . Retrieved January 10, 2026.
46. "Mississippi Election Results". The New York Times. November 7, 2023. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved February 10, 2024.
47. Watson, Michael (2021). "Historical and Statistical Information" (PDF). 2020-2024 Statistical Register. Mississippi Secretary of State.
48. Senate, Mississippi Legislature (1836). Journal. p. 10.
49. "Journal of the Senate of the State of Mississippi ... 1902". HathiTrust. pp. 55–56. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
50. Rowland, Dunbar (1923). The Official and Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi, 1920-24. Hederman bros. p. 102.
51. Mississippi. Legislature (January 1, 1928). "Hand book : biographical data of members of Senate and House, personnel of standing committees [1928]". Mississippi Legislature Hand Books.

External links

• Mississippi Legislature
• State Senate of Mississippi at Project Vote Smart
• Mississippi State Senate at Ballotpedia

32°18′14″N90°10′56″W / 32.30389°N 90.18222°W / 32.30389; -90.18222