Rufus Straughter
Rufus Straughter (Democratic Party) was a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives, representing District 51. He assumed office in 1996. He left office on January 2, 2024.
Straughter (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Mississippi House of Representatives to represent District 51. He lost in the Democratic primary on August 8, 2023.
Biography
Straughter earned his B.A. from Delta State University and his MBA and M.S. from Jackson State University. His professional experience includes working as an educator.[1]
Committee assignments
2023-2024
Straughter was assigned to the following committees:
- Apportionment and Elections Committee
- House County Affairs Committee
- House Education Committee
- Management Committee
- House State Library Committee, Vice Chair
- House Universities and Colleges Committee
- Ways and Means Committee
2021-2022
Straughter was assigned to the following committees:
2020-2021
Straughter was assigned to the following committees:
- Management Committee
- House State Library Committee, Vice-Chairman
- Ways and Means Committee
- Apportionment and Elections Committee
- House County Affairs Committee
- House Education Committee
2019-2020
Straughter was assigned to the following committees:
- House Education Committee
- Local and Private Legislation Committee
- Management Committee
- House Universities and Colleges Committee
- Ways and Means Committee
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Straughter served on the following committees:
| Mississippi committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Fees and Salaries of Public Officers, Vice Chair |
| • Conservation and Water Resources |
| • Education |
| • Public Property |
| • Rules |
| • Workforce Development |
2012-2013
During the 2012-2013 legislative session, Straughter served on the following committees:
| Mississippi committee assignments, 2012 |
|---|
| • Conservation and Water Resources |
| • Education |
| • Fees and Salaries of Public Officers, Vice Chair |
| • Public Property |
| • Workforce Development |
2010-2011
During the 2010-2011 legislative session, Straughter served on the following committees:
| Mississippi committee assignments, 2010 |
|---|
| • Labor, Chair |
| • Appropriations |
| • Constitution |
| • Education |
| • Ethics |
| • Fees and Salaries of Public Officers |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2023
See also: Mississippi House of Representatives elections, 2023
General election
General election for Mississippi House of Representatives District 51
Timaka James-Jones won election in the general election for Mississippi House of Representatives District 51 on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Timaka James-Jones (D)  | 100.0 | 7,085 |
| Total votes: 7,085 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Mississippi House of Representatives District 51
Timaka James-Jones defeated incumbent Rufus Straughter in the Democratic primary for Mississippi House of Representatives District 51 on August 8, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Timaka James-Jones | 71.6 | 4,320 |
 | Rufus Straughter | 28.4 | 1,712 | |
| Total votes: 6,032 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
Straughter received the following endorsements.
2019
See also: Mississippi House of Representatives elections, 2019
General election
General election for Mississippi House of Representatives District 51
Incumbent Rufus Straughter won election in the general election for Mississippi House of Representatives District 51 on November 5, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Rufus Straughter (D) | 100.0 | 5,691 |
| Total votes: 5,691 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Mississippi House of Representatives District 51
Incumbent Rufus Straughter advanced from the Democratic primary for Mississippi House of Representatives District 51 on August 6, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Rufus Straughter | 100.0 | 5,039 |
| Total votes: 5,039 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2015
Elections for the Mississippi House of Representatives took place in 2015. A primary election was held on August 4, 2015. The general election took place on November 3, 2015. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 27, 2015.[2] Incumbent Rufus Straughter was unopposed in the Democratic primary. No Republican candidates filed for election. Straughter ran unchallenged in the District 51 general election.
2011
On November 8, 2011, Straughter won re-election to District 51 of the Mississippi House of Representatives. He defeated Gary Farmer and Whitfield Harrington in the August 2 primary,[3] and won the November 8 general election uncontested.
| Mississippi House of Representatives District 51 Democratic Primary, 2011 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Rufus Straughter Incumbent |
61.9% | 3,460 |
| Whitfield Harrington | 20.8% | 1,166 |
| Gary Farmer | 17.3% | 968 |
| Total Votes | 5,594 | |
2007
On November 6, 2007, Straughter was re-elected in District 51. He defeated Gary Farmer in the primary election, and ran unopposed in the general election.[4]
| Mississippi House of Representatives, District 51 (2007) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Rufus Straughter (D) | 5,303 | 100.0% | ||
Campaign themes
2023
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Rufus Straughter did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.
2019
Rufus Straughter did not complete Ballotpedia's 2019 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2023.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
- The Institute for Legislative Analysis — Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2022.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2021.
- Americans for Prosperity - Mississippi — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- Club for Growth Foundation — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
- National Federation of Independent Business — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2020.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2019.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- National Federation of Independent Business — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2018.
- ACLU of Mississippi — Legislators are scored by the ACLU on their whether their votes on bills "promote racial, cultural, and economic justice."
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2017.
- ACLU of Mississippi — Legislators are scored by the ACLU on their whether their votes on bills "promote racial, cultural, and economic justice."
- Americans for Prosperity - Mississippi — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2016.
- ACLU of Mississippi — Legislators are scored by the ACLU on their whether their votes on bills "promote racial, cultural, and economic justice."
- Americans for Prosperity - Mississippi — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- Empower Mississippi — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to education.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2015.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2014.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- Empower Mississippi — Legislators are scored on their votes on education bills.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Straughter has been a member of the Elks, Haywood County Association of Educators, Mississippi Association of Education, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Education Association, and Omega Psi Phi.[1]
See also
2019 Elections
External links
|
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Project Vote Smart - Rep. Straughter
- ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "2015 Elections Calendar," accessed December 2, 2014
- ↑ Associated Press, "Mississippi Primary Election Results," accessed August 3, 2011
- ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "2007 Statewide Elections," accessed February 14, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Mississippi House of Representatives District 51 1996-2024 |
Succeeded by Timaka James-Jones (D) |
