Two Mississippi state legislators are currently running for mayor in their respective towns.
House Rules Committee Chairman Fred Shanks (R) on Thursday qualified to run for mayor in Brandon, which is less than 32 miles from the state capital, Jackson.
Shanks and Mayor Butch Lee were the only ones to qualify for the race, according to the Brandon City Clerk’s Office on Friday. Mr. Lee is currently serving his third term.
Shanks has served in the House of Representatives since 2018.
“I plan to take my statewide Rolodex and legislative skillset and apply them to the mayor’s position,” Shanks said in a Facebook post Friday morning. “My plan is to immediately engage the public works department and conduct a thorough review of the current project list and current contracts.”
In 2024, Sen. John Horn (D-Jackson) announced his candidacy for mayor of Jackson. He himself will face several opponents, including Democratic incumbent Mayor Chalk Antar Lumumba.
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Wicker has been officially nominated as chairman of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee.
Sen. Roger Wicker, a Republican from Tupelo, was formally nominated by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) to chair the Senate Armed Services Committee in late December. On December 21, Mr. Thun announced a list of the commission’s tasks.
As the most senior member of the majority party, Mr. Wicker is seeking to demonstrate leadership of the party. Formalizing his name on the commission’s appointments effectively seals the deal for Mr. Wicker’s rise.
Mr. Wicker will continue to serve on the Commerce Committee, Environment and Public Works Committee, and Rules Committee. Wicker has served in the Senate since 2007 and recently won reelection against Democratic challenger Ty Pinkins.
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In the Senate, Rep. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Mississippi, will serve on the Senate Rules, Appropriations, Agriculture and Energy Committees.
Grant McLaughlin covers Congress and state government for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at gmcLaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.
