Mississippi State Senate
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox legislature 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 36 seats while the Democratic Party holds 16 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.<ref>Template:Cite constitution</ref> Districts are reapportioned to reflect population changes, and per the 2020 census, each district has about 56,947 people.<ref name=":1" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref> 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.<ref name=":0" /> Elections to the Senate are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November during the state general elections.<ref>Template:Cite constitution</ref>
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.<ref>MS Code § 23-15-851 (2013)</ref>
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.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":2">Template:Cite constitution</ref> The Senate reconvenes on a yearly basis on the Tuesday after the first Monday in January.<ref name=":1" /> While the Mississippi House of Representatives can extend its sessions, the Senate cannot.<ref name=":2" />
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.<ref>Template:Cite constitution</ref> A majority in the Senate establishes a quorum, though less members can adjourn,<ref>Template:Cite constitution</ref> though not for more than 3 days without the House's consent.<ref>Template:Cite constitution</ref> Bills can originate in the Senate and must undergo three readings in each house, unless two-thirds of the house dispenses with the rules.<ref>Template:Cite constitution</ref> Amendments to bills must be approved by both houses.<ref>Template:Cite constitution</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The governor has the power to veto legislation, but legislators can override the veto with a two-thirds decision.<ref>Template:Cite constitution</ref> The Senate tries all impeachments referred to it by the House of Representatives.<ref>Template:Cite constitution</ref> All gubernatorial appointments are subject to approval of the Senate.<ref>Mississippi Code § 7-1-35</ref>
Leadership
The President of the Senate is Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann, who is Republican. The President pro tempore is Republican Dean Kirby.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Minority Leader is Democrat Derrick Simmons.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi serves as the President of the Senate<ref name=":3">Template:Cite constitution</ref> and has the sole ability to appoint the chairmanships or vice chairmanships of various Senate committees, regardless of party size.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They can only cast a legislative vote if required to break a tie.<ref name=":3" /> In the absence of the lieutenant governor, the President Pro Tempore presides over the Senate.<ref>Template:Cite constitution</ref> 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.<ref>MS Code § 5-1-15 (2013)</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Party composition
| Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)
|
Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | |||
| Democratic | Republican | Vacant | ||
| End of previous legislature (2023) | 16 | Template:Party shading/Republican|36 | 52 | 0 |
| Start of current legislature (2024) | 16 | Template:Party shading/Republican|36 | 52 | 0 |
| January 6, 2025<ref>Jenifer Branning (District 23) resigned to join the Mississippi Supreme Court.[1]</ref> | rowspan="1" Template:Party shading/Republican|35 | 51 | 1 | |
| April 16, 2025<ref>Republican Lane Taylor [2]</ref> | 16 | rowspan="2"Template:Party shading/Republican|36 | 52 | 0 |
| June 30, 2025<ref>Democrat David Lee Jordan (District 24) resigned to spend time with his family,[3] and Democrat John Horhn (District 24) resigned after being elected mayor of Jackson.[4]</ref> | 14 | 50 | 2 | |
| Latest voting share | Template:Percentage | Template:Party shading/Republican| Template:Percentage | ||
Although the Democratic Party retained their majority in the Senate after the 2003 general election, a party switch by Democratic Senator James Shannon Walley of Leakesville in January 2007 threw control of the chamber to the Republicans.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Because the 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 only on a tie vote.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the November 6, 2007 statewide elections, Democrats won back control of the chamber,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> however party switches from Senators Nolan Mettetal in February 2008 and Cindy Hyde-Smith in December 2010 gave the Republicans a de facto majority, with Lieutenant Governor Phil Bryant holding the tiebreaker vote.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After another party switch in February 2011, the Republicans expanded their majority to 27–24, with one vacancy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
As of 2024, the Mississippi Senate has 36 Republican members and 16 Democratic members.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Members of the Mississippi Senate (2024–2028)
Past composition of the Senate
List of presidents pro tempore
Since 1833 the Senate has had 55 Presidents pro tempore:<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
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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
Notes
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References
External links
Template:Mississippi State Senate Template:United States legislaturesTemplate:MS Senate presidents pro temporeTemplate:Authority control