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Will Longwitz
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William "Will" Longwitz was a judge on the Madison County Court in Mississippi. He was appointed by Governor Phil Bryant (R) on January 19, 2016, and his appointment was effective the following day.[1] Longwitz was defeated in his bid for election to his seat on November 8, 2016.
Longwitz was a Republican member of the Mississippi State Senate, representing District 25 from 2012 to 2016.
Biography
Longwitz is a graduate of the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, Georgetown University and the University of Mississippi Law School. His professional experience includes working as a practicing attorney, federal civil prosecutor, and state attorney. Following Hurricane Katrina, he served on Governor Haley Barbour’s Commission on Recovery, Rebuilding and Renewal.[2]
Committee assignments
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Longwitz served on the following committees:
| Mississippi committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Constitution, Vice Chair |
| • Business and Financial Institutions |
| • County Affairs |
| • Ethics |
| • Finance |
| • Insurance |
| • Judiciary, Division A |
2012-2013
In the 2012-2013 legislative session, Longwitz served on the following committees:
| Mississippi committee assignments, 2012 |
|---|
| • Constitution, Vice Chair |
| • Business and Financial Institutions |
| • County Affairs |
| • Ethics |
| • Finance |
| • Insurance |
| • Judiciary, Division A |
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.
Campaign themes
2011
Longwitz's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[3]
- Fix the Budget Process: "Mississippi's budgeting process is broken, and we have a real chance to fix it. Will believes the state should be required to budget just like everybody else."
- Protect Taxpayers: "We must keep the burden of debt off our children's backs. Our state is currently $4 billion in debt, and we pay about $1 million per day in principal and interest payments. Will Longwitz will make tough and fiscally prudent decisions instead of passing the burden onto citizens in the form of higher taxes."
- Strong Schools: "An educated and well-trained workforce is an investment in prosperity and growth. Will believes education spending must always be accompanied by measurable results. We owe it to ourselves and we owe it to our kids to get them the results we pay for."
- Protecting Life: "Mississippi has been rated one of the safest places in the nation for unborn children. While we have made great strides, there is more to do. We have a religious and moral obligation to protect the weakest and most vulnerable among us."
- Second Amendment: "The United States Constitution protects the rights of its citizens to keep and bear arms. The U.S. Supreme court recently affirmed this individual right, but opponents will continue to try and erode these freedoms. Public safety and the rule of law require that our lawmakers stand up for gun ownership rights."
- Workforce Training: "Mississippians need to be trained with the skills to compete for good new jobs. If we build on our existing network of employers, community colleges and other resources, we can create a steady stream of ready-to-hire, productive workers in manufacturing, agriculture, health care, energy, technology and other industries."
- Immigration and State Sovereignty: "The federal government refuses to adequately protect our borders, but the Obama administration sues states when they try to enforce immigration laws. Then taxpayers bear the burden of providing public services for people who do not pay their share into the system. Only a serious state and federal commitment to immigration enforcement can fix this cycle."
- Energy: "Mississippi is poised to be an energy leader. Oil and gas are a major part of Mississippi's economy and a major source of jobs. We must encourage and expand production and exploration. Mississippi can lead the nation in the cutting-edge field of biofuel research and production. We must encourage innovation and job growth in this exciting energy sector."
Elections
2016
Mississippi held special elections for local judicial offices on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was May 6, 2016.[4] Staci O'Neal defeated incumbent Will Longwitz in the Madison County Court general election.[5]
| Madison County Court, General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Staci O'Neal |
56.09% | 26,383 |
| Will Longwitz Incumbent | 43.91% | 20,651 |
| Total Votes | 47,034 | |
| Source: Mississippi Secretary of State, "2016 General Election Results," November 8, 2016 | ||
2015
- See also: Mississippi State Senate elections, 2015
Elections for the Mississippi State Senate took place in 2015. A primary election was held on August 4, 2015, and the general election was held on November 3, 2015. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 27, 2015.[6] No Democratic candidates filed for election. Incumbent Will Longwitz defeated William Billingsley in the Republican primary. Longwitz ran unchallenged in the District 25 general election.
| Mississippi State Senate, District 25 Republican Primary, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|
Will Longwitz Incumbent |
70.7% | 8,971 |
| William Billingsley | 29.3% | 3,709 |
| Total Votes | 12,680 | |
2011
- See also: Mississippi State Senate elections, 2011
Longwitz won the 2011 election for Mississippi Senate District 25. He defeated Sean Corcoran in the primary on August 2, 2011, and defeated Charles Barbour in a runoff primary election on August 23, 2011. Longwtiz defeated Cecilia Sampayo, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, in the general election on November 8, 2011.[7][8][9][10]
| Mississippi State Senate, District 25 General Election, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | William Longwitz |
73.7% | 18,284 | |
| Democratic | Cecilia Sampayo | 26.3% | 6,540 | |
| Total Votes | 24,824 | |||
| Mississippi State Senate, District 25 Republican Primary Runoff, 2011 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| William Longwitz |
53.7% | 5,848 |
| Charles Barbour | 46.3% | 5,049 |
| Total Votes | 10,897 | |
| Mississippi State Senate, District 25 Republican Primary, 2011 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Charles Barbour |
47.3% | 6,771 |
| William Longwitz |
49.8% | 7,129 |
| Sean Corcoran | 2.9% | 420 |
| Total Votes | 14,320 | |
Campaign finance summary
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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 Mississippi scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2015
In 2015, the Mississippi State Legislature was in session from January 6 through April 2.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2014, the Mississippi State Legislature was in session from January 7 through April 2.
|
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Longwitz and his wife, Leigh Ann, have two daughters.[2]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Will Longwitz Mississippi judge. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Courts in Mississippi
- Mississippi County Courts
- Mississippi State Legislature
- Mississippi State Senate
External links
- Campaign website
- Will Longwitz on YouTube
- Will Longwitz on Twitter
- Profile from Open States
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
Footnotes
- ↑ MS News Now, "Governor fills two judicial vacancies with a state senator and a former U.S. Attorney," January 19, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Will Longwitz for State Senate, "About," accessed September 8, 2011
- ↑ Will Longwitz for State Senate, "Issues," accessed September 8, 2011
- ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "2016 Election Calendar," accessed December 7, 2015
- ↑ Madison County, Mississippi, "2016 General Election Sample Ballot," accessed October 3, 2016
- ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "2015 Elections Calendar," accessed December 2, 2014
- ↑ Mississippi Department of State, "2011 Official State Senate Candidate List," accessed April 2, 2015
- ↑ Clarion Ledger, "Longwitz, Harkins apparent winners in GOP Senate races," August 23, 2011
- ↑ WDAM "Election 2011 Runoff Results," August 23, 2011
- ↑ Sun Herald, "Legislative incumbents toppled," August 23, 2011
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Walter Michel (R) |
Mississippi State Senate District 25 2012–2016 |
Succeeded by Walter Michel (R) |
Federal courts:
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi
State courts:
Mississippi Supreme Court • Mississippi Court of Appeals • Mississippi circuit courts • Mississippi Chancery Court • Mississippi county courts • Mississippi justice courts • Mississippi youth courts • Mississippi Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Mississippi • Mississippi judicial elections • Judicial selection in Mississippi
