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Gray Tollison
| Gray Tollison | ||
 | ||
| Mississippi State Senate District 9 | ||
| Incumbent | ||
| In office | ||
| 1996 - Present | ||
| Term ends | ||
| January 3, 2016 | ||
| Years in position | 17 | |
| Party | Republican | |
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $10,000/year | |
| Per diem | $109/day | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| Last election | November 8, 2011 | |
| First elected | 1995 | |
| Next election | November 3, 2015 | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Education | ||
| Bachelor's | Rhodes College | |
| J.D. | University of Mississippi School of Law | |
| Personal | ||
| Birthday | 09/08/1964 | |
| Place of birth | Memphis, TN | |
| Profession | Attorney | |
| Religion | Episcopalian | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
| Campaign website | ||
 | ||
Contents |
Tollison joined the Mississippi State Senate in 1996. He has served in that position since, representing the 9th district. From 1996 to November 2011 Tollison served as a member of the Democratic Party. On November 10, two days after being re-elected as a Democrat, Tollison announced he was switching to the Republican Party.[1]
Tollison is an Attorney.
Tollison earned his BA from Rhodes College. He went on to receive his JD from the University of Mississippi School of Law.
Committee assignments
2010-2011
In the 2010-2011 legislative session, Tollison served on these committees:
- Compilation, Revision and Publication Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Constitution Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Education Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Fees, Salaries and Administration Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Finance Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Judiciary, Division B Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Tourism Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Universities and Colleges Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Committee, Mississippi Senate
Elections
Vote Result Box
| Mississippi State Senate General Election, 2011, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democrat |  Gary Tollison Incumbent |
100% | 15,634 | |
| Total Votes | 15,634 | |||
2011
- See also: Mississippi State Senate elections, 2011
Tollison won re-election to the Mississippi Senate District 9.[2] He ran unopposed in the primary on August 2, 2011 and was to face Todd Wade (R) in the general election on November 8, 2011.[3] However, Wade was removed from the ballot in mid-September by the state Election Commission for failing to be a qualified elector of the state for four years.[4]
Two days after the election, Tollison switched parties.
| Mississippi State Senate General Election, 2011, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democrat | Gary Tollison Incumbent |
100% | 15,634 | |
| Total Votes | 15,634 | |||
2007
- See also: Mississippi State Senate elections, 2007
On November 6, 2007, Gray Tollison ran unopposed for District 9 of the Mississippi State Senate. [5]
Gray Tollison raised $6,200 for his campaign.[6]
| Mississippi Senate, District 9 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Gray Tollison (D) | 11,648 | 100% | ||
Campaign donors
2011
In 2011, Tollison received $47,955 in campaign donations. The top contributors are listed below.[7]
| Mississippi State Senate 2011 election - Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Top contributors to Gray Tollison's campaign in 2011 | |
| Miss Hospital Association PAC | $5,000 |
| Homebuilders Of Mississippi Association PAC | $2,000 |
| Mississippi Bail Agents Association | $1,000 |
| Lafayette County Democratic Executive Cmte | $1,000 |
| Liston, William | $1,000 |
| Total Raised in 2011 | $47,955 |
| Total Votes received in 2011 | 15,634 |
| Cost of each vote received | $3.07 |
2009
In 2009 Gray Tollison collected $12,200 in donations. [8]
His four largest contributors in 2009 were:
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Entertainment Software Association | $1,500 |
| Commonwealth Brands | $1,000 |
| Anheuser-Busch | $1,000 |
| AT&T | $1,000 |
Issues
Campaign themes
2011
On his campaign website, Tollison highlights the following four issues:
- Education: "To me, improving educational opportunities is the key to improving our quality of life. I have consistently fought for increased funding for education, and also made sure that we had accountability in our schools. We need to focus on the teacher and classroom and make sure our children are getting a quality education."[9]
- Jobs and Economic Development: "It is important that we invest in our people through education and workforce training, so they have the skills and knowledge to work in the ever-changing workplace. We also need to continue our investment in infrastructure for transportation, energy and technology and to ensure that the government is helpful in growing new jobs and not a hindrance."[9]
- Effective and Efficient Government: "Government is not the answer to all of society’s problems. It never has been. We have to work together as a community – private business, civic groups and churches – to seek real solutions to our problems. At the same time, state government has an important role in our community...We need to continue working on better ways to make government more effective and efficient."[9]
- Crime and Safety: "I have provided leadership in the legislature as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary B Committee for the past seven years. I have worked to increase penalties for crimes against children and vulnerable adults, to reform juvenile justice laws and to support our law enforcement officers."[9]
Recent news
This section displays the most recent stories in a google news search for the term Gray + Tollison + Minnesota + Senate
- All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.
Gray Tollison News Feed
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Personal
Tollison has a wife, Farish.
Contact Information
Capitol Address:
Post Office Box 1018, Room 409 A
Jackson, MS 39215-1018
Phone: 601-359-3425
District Address
Post Office Box 1358
Oxford, MS 38655
Phone: 662-234-7070 (Business)
Phone: 662-234-8395 (Home)
Email:
gtollison@senate.ms.gov
External links
- Official campaign website
- Mississippi Senate Page
- Legislative profile on Project Vote Smart
- Biography on Project Vote Smart
- Campaign Contributions: 2009, 2007, 2005, 2003, 1999
References
- ↑ WLBT, "State Sen. Tollison of Oxford jumps from D to R," November 10, 2011
- ↑ http://www.sos.ms.gov/links/elections/results/statewide/MS%20Senate%20MULTI%20COUNTY%20-%20General%20Election%202011%20Results.pdf
- ↑ Mississippi Department of State, 2011 Official State Senate Candidate List
- ↑ NEMS, "Election Commission denies Wade ballot spot," September 14, 2011
- ↑ Mississippi State Senate official election results for 2007
- ↑ Follow the Money's report on Tollison's 2007 campaign contributions
- ↑ Follow the Money - 2011 contributions
- ↑ 2009 contributors to Gray Tollison
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Re-Elect Gray Tollison, "On the Issues," accessed September 8, 2011
| Political offices | ||
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Succeeded by NA |
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