2012–2016 Mississippi Legislature
# 2012–2016 Mississippi Legislature

The Mississippi Legislature met in multiple sessions in the 2012-2016 term. They were from: January 3-May 3, 2012; January 8 - April 4, 2013; April 26, 2013; June 27–28, 2013; January 7-April 6, 2014; May 8, 2014; and January 6-April 5, 2015.

## Officers

### Senate

**Presiding Officer**

| Position | Name | Party | District |
| - | - | - | - |
| President | Tate Reeves | Republican Party | n/a (Lieut. Gov.) |
| President Pro Tempore | Terry W. Brown | Republican Party | 17 |
| President Pro Tempore | Giles Ward | Republican Party | 18 |

### House of Representatives

**Presiding Officer**

| Position | Name | Party | District |
| - | - | - | - |
| Speaker of the House | Phillip Gunn | Republican Party | 56 |
| Speaker Pro Tempore | Greg Snowden | Republican Party | 83 |

## Composition

The following composition reflects the balance of power after the 2011 elections, which was the first election since Reconstruction to give a majority of seats in the State House to the Republicans.

### House

| Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Affiliation | Democratic | Republican | Total | Vacant |
| End of previous legislature (2011) | 67 | 55 | 122 | |
| Begin | 58 | 64 | 122 | 0 |
| July 20, 2012 | 58 | 63 | 121 | 1 |
| November 19, 2012 | 58 | 62 | 120 | 2 |
| November 27, 2012 | 58 | 63 | 121 | 1 |
| December 10, 2012 | 57 | 64 | 121 | 1 |
| January 11, 2013 | 57 | 65 | 122 | 0 |
| January 13, 2013 | 56 | 65 | 121 | 1 |
| February 4, 2013 | 55 | 65 | 120 | 2 |
| March 24, 2013 | 55 | 64 | 119 | 3 |
| April 4, 2013 | 56 | 64 | 120 | 2 |
| April 26, 2013 | 57 | 64 | 121 | 1 |
| June 10, 2013 | 57 | 65 | 122 | 0 |
| July 1, 2013 | 54 | 65 | 119 | 3 |
| January 2014 | 57 | 65 | 122 | 0 |
| September 15, 2014 | 56 | 66 | 122 | 0 |
| February 12, 2015 | 55 | 66 | 121 | 1 |
| April 6, 2015 | 55 | 67 | 122 | 0 |
| June 10, 2015 | 54 | 67 | 121 | 1 |
| November 5, 2015 | 53 | 68 | 121 | 1 |
| Latest voting share | 43.4% | 55.7% | | |

### Senate

| District | Name | Party | Residence | Gender |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Chris Massey | Rep | Nesbit | M |
| 2 | Bill Stone | Dem | Holly Springs | M |
| 3 | Nickey Browning | Rep | Pontotoc | M |
| 4 | Rita Potts Parks | Rep | Corinth | F |
| 5 | J. P. Wilemon | Dem | Belmont | M |
| 6 | Nancy Adams Collins | Rep | | F |
| 7 | Hob Bryan | Dem | Amory | M |
| 8 | Russell Jolly | Dem | Houston | M |
| 9 | Gray Tollison | Rep | Oxford | M |
| 10 | Steve Hale | Dem | Senatobia | M |
| 11 | Robert L. Jackson | Dem | Marks | M |
| 12 | Derrick Simmons | Dem | Greenville | M |
| 13 | Willie Lee Simmons | Dem | Cleveland | M |
| 14 | Lydia Chassaniol | Rep | Winona | F |
| 15 | Gary Jackson | Rep | French Camp | M |
| 16 | Angela Turner | Dem | West Point | F |
| 17 | Charles Younger | Rep | Columbus | M |
| 18 | Giles Ward | Rep | Louisville | M |
| 19 | David Parker | Rep | Olive Branch | M |
| 20 | Josh Harkins | Rep | Flowood | M |
| 21 | Kenny Wayne Jones | Dem | Canton | M |
| 22 | Eugene S. Clarke | Rep | Hollandale | M |
| 23 | Briggs Hopson | Rep | Vicksburg | M |
| 24 | David Lee Jordan | Dem | Greenwood | M |
| 25 | Will Longwitz | Rep | Madison | M |
| 26 | John A. Horhn | Dem | Jackson | M |
| 27 | Hillman Terome Frazier | Dem | Jackson | M |
| 28 | Sollie Norwood | Dem | Jackson | M |
| 29 | David Blount | Dem | Jackson | M |
| 30 | Dean Kirby | Rep | Pearl | M |
| 31 | Terry Clark Burton | Rep | Newton | M |
| 32 | Sampson Jackson II | Dem | Preston | M |
| 33 | Videt Carmichael | Rep | Meridian | M |
| 34 | Haskins Montgomery | Dem | Bay Springs | M |
| 35 | Perry Lee | Rep | Mendenhall | M |
| 36 | Albert Butler | Dem | Port Gibson | M |
| 37 | Melanie Sojourner | Rep | Natchez | F |
| 38 | Kelvin Butler | Dem | McComb | M |
| 39 | Sally Doty | Rep | Brookhaven | F |
| 40 | Angela Burks Hill | Rep | Picayune | F |
| 41 | Joey Fillingane | Rep | Sumrall | M |
| 42 | Chris McDaniel | Rep | Ellisville | M |
| 43 | Phillip A. Gandy | Rep | Waynesboro | M |
| 44 | John A. Polk | Rep | Hattiesburg | M |
| 45 | Billy Hudson | Rep | Hattiesburg | M |
| 46 | Philip Moran | Rep | Kiln | M |
| 47 | Tony Smith | Rep | Picayune | M |
| 48 | Deborah Jeanne Dawkins | Dem | Pass Christian | F |
| 49 | Sean Tindell | Rep | Gulfport | M |
| 50 | Thomas Arlin Gollot | Rep | Biloxi | M |
| 51 | Michael Watson | Rep | Pascagoula | M |
| 52 | Brice Wiggins | Rep | Pascagoula | M |

### House

| District | Name | Party | Residence |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Lester Carpenter | Rep | Burnsville |
| 2 | Nick Bain | Dem | Corinth |
| 3 | William "Tracy" Arnold | Rep | Booneville |
| 4 | Jody Steverson | Rep | Ripley |
| 5 | John Faulkner | Dem | Holly Springs |
| 6 | Eugene Hamilton | Rep | Olive Branch |
| 7 | Wanda Jennings | Rep | Southaven |
| 8 | Trey Lamar | Rep | Senatobia |
| 9 | Clara Burnett | Dem | Tunica |
| 10 | Nolan Mettetal | Rep | Sardis |
| 11 | Lataisha Jackson | Dem | Como |
| 12 | Brad Mayo | Rep | Oxford |
| 13 | Steve Massengill | Rep | Hickory Flat |
| 14 | Margaret Rogers | Rep | New Albany |
| 15 | Mac Huddleston | Rep | Pontotoc |
| 16 | Stephen Holland | Dem | Plantersville |
| 17 | Brian Aldridge | Rep | Tupelo |
| 18 | Jerry Turner | Rep | Baldwyn |
| 19 | Randy Boyd | Rep | Mantachie |
| 20 | Chris Brown | Rep | Aberdeen |
| 21 | Donnie Bell | Rep | Fulton |
| 22 | Preston Sullivan | Dem | Okolona |
| 23 | Charles Beckett | Rep | Bruce |
| 24 | Kevin Horan | Dem | Grenada |
| 25 | Gene Alday | Rep | Wells |
| 26 | Chuck Espy | Dem | Clarksdale |
| 27 | Ferr Smith | Dem | Carthage |
| 28 | Tommy Taylor | Rep | Boyle |
| 29 | Linda Coleman | Dem | Mound Bayou |
| 30 | Robert Huddleston | Dem | Sumner |
| 31 | Sara Thomas | Dem | Indianola |
| 32 | Willie Perkins, Sr. | Dem | Greenwood |
| 33 | Thomas Reynolds II | Dem | Charleston |
| 34 | Linda Whittington | Dem | Schlater |
| 35 | Joey Hood | Rep | Ackerman |
| 36 | Karl Gibbs | Dem | West Point |
| 37 | Gary Chism | Rep | Columbus |
| 38 | Tyrone Ellis | Dem | Starkville |
| 39 | Jeff Smith | Rep | Columbus |
| 40 | Pat Nelson | Rep | Southaven |
| 41 | Vacant | | |
| 42 | Reecy Dickson | Dem | Macon |
| 43 | Michael Evans | Dem | Philadelphia |
| 44 | C. Scott Bounds | Rep | Philadelphia |
| 45 | Jay Mathis | Rep | Carthage |
| 46 | Bobby Howell | Rep | Kilmichael |
| 47 | Bryant Clark | Dem | Pickens |
| 48 | Jason White | Rep | West |
| 49 | Willie Bailey | Dem | Greenville |
| 50 | John Hines | Dem | Greenville |
| 51 | Rufus Straughter | Dem | Belzoni |
| 52 | Bill Kinkade | Rep | Byhalia |
| 53 | Robert Moak | Dem | Bogue Chitto |
| 54 | Alex Monsour | Rep | Vicksburg |
| 55 | Oscar Denton | Dem | Vicksburg |
| 56 | Philip Gunn | Rep | Clinton |
| 57 | Edward Blackmon, Jr. | Dem | Canton |
| 58 | Rita Martinson | Rep | Madison |
| 59 | Brent Powell | Rep | Brandon |
| 60 | John Moore | Rep | Brandon |
| 61 | Ray Rogers | Rep | Pearl |
| 62 | Thomas Weathersby, Sr. | Rep | Florence |
| 63 | Deborah Butler Dixon | Dem | Raymond |
| 64 | William Denny, Jr. | Rep | Jackson |
| 65 | Mary Coleman | Dem | Jackson |
| 66 | Cecil Brown | Dem | Jackson |
| 67 | Earle S. Banks | Dem | Jackson |
| 68 | Credell Calhoun | Dem | Jackson |
| 69 | Alyce Clarke | Dem | Jackson |
| 70 | James Evans | Dem | Jackson |
| 71 | Adrienne Wooten | Dem | Canton |
| 72 | Kimberly Campbell Buck | Dem | Jackson |
| 73 | Brad Oberhousen | Dem | Jackson |
| 74 | Mark Baker | Rep | Brandon |
| 75 | Tom Miles | Dem | Forest |
| 76 | Gregory Holloway, Sr. | Dem | Hazlehurst |
| 77 | J. Andrew Gipson | Rep | Braxton |
| 78 | Randy Rushing | Rep | Decatur |
| 79 | Blaine Eaton II | Dem | Taylorsville |
| 80 | Omeria Scott | Dem | Laurel |
| 81 | Stephen Horne | Rep | Meridian |
| 82 | Charles Young, Jr. | Dem | Meridian |
| 83 | Greg Snowden | Rep | Meridian |
| 84 | William Shirley | Rep | Quitman |
| 85 | Chuck Middleton | Dem | Port Gibson |
| 86 | Sherra Lane | Dem | Waynesboro |
| 87 | Johnny Stringer | Dem | Montrose |
| 88 | Gary Staples | Rep | Laurel |
| 89 | Bobby Shows | Rep | Ellisville |
| 90 | Joseph Warren | Dem | Mount Olive |
| 91 | Robert Evans | Dem | Monticello |
| 92 | Becky Currie | Rep | Brookhaven |
| 93 | Timmy Ladner | Rep | Poplarville |
| 94 | Robert Johnson III | Dem | Natchez |
| 95 | Patricia H. Willis | Rep | Diamondhead |
| 96 | Angela Cockerham | Dem | Magnolia |
| 97 | Sam Mims, V | Rep | McComb |
| 98 | David Myers | Dem | McComb |
| 99 | Bill Pigott | Rep | Tylertown |
| 100 | Ken Morgan | Rep | Morgantown |
| 101 | Hank Lott | Rep | Sumrall |
| 102 | Toby Barker | Rep | Hattiesburg |
| 103 | Percy Watson | Dem | Hattiesburg |
| 104 | Larry Byrd | Rep | Petal |
| 105 | Dennis DeBar | Rep | |
| 106 | Herbert Frierson | Rep | Poplarville |
| 107 | Doug McLeod | Rep | |
| 108 | Mark Formby | Rep | Picayune |
| 109 | Manly Barton | Rep | |
| 110 | Jeramey Anderson | Dem | Moss Point |
| 111 | Charles Busby | Rep | Pascagoula |
| 112 | John Read | Rep | Gautier |
| 113 | Henry Zuber III | Rep | Ocean Springs |
| 114 | Jeffrey S. Guice | Rep | Ocean Springs |
| 115 | Randall Patterson | Rep | Biloxi |
| 116 | Casey Eure | Rep | Biloxi |
| 117 | Scott DeLano | Rep | Biloxi |
| 118 | Greg Haney | Rep | Gulfport |
| 119 | Sonya Williams-Barnes | Dem | Gulfport |
| 120 | Richard Bennett | Rep | Long Beach |
| 121 | Carolyn Crawford | Rep | Pass Christian |
| 122 | David Baria | Dem | Bay St. Louis |

With the February 2009 party switch of Billy Nicholson from Democrat to Republican, the composition became 73 Democrats and 49 Republicans. This also meant that for the first time in the history of Mississippi, the majority of the Democratic members of the House were African-Americans.

