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Mississippi State Senate

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Mississippi State Senate
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General Information
Party control:  Republican
Session start:  January 6, 2026
Session end:  April 5, 2026
Term length:  4 years
Term limits:  None
Redistricting:  Legislature-dominant
Salary:  $23,500/year + per diem
Members
Total:  52
Democrats:  18
Republicans:  34
Other:  0
Vacancies:  0
Leadership
President:  Delbert Hosemann (R)
Elections
Last election:  November 7, 2023
Next election:  November 2, 2027


The Mississippi State Senate is the upper chamber of the Mississippi State Legislature. Alongside the Mississippi House of Representatives, it forms the legislative branch of the Mississippi state government and works alongside the governor of Mississippi to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Mississippi State Senate include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.

The Mississippi State Senate meets in the state capitol building in Jackson, Mississippi.

  • All 52 seats in the Mississippi State Senate were up for election in 2019. Click to read more »
  • In the November 2015 elections, no partisan change occurred in the chamber. Republicans maintained a 32-20 majority.
  • Mississippi has a Republican state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers. As of February 17, 2026, there are 23 Republican trifectas, 14 Democratic trifectas, and 13 divided governments where neither party holds trifecta control. In the 2020 election, Republicans had a net gain of two trifectas and two states under divided government became trifectas. Prior to that election, Mississippi had a Republican trifecta. There were 21 Republican trifectas, 15 Democratic trifectas, and 14 divided governments.

    • This page contains the following information on the Mississippi State Senate.

    Party control

    Current partisan control

    The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the Mississippi State Senate as of February 2026:

    Partisan composition, Mississippi State Senate
    As of February 2026
    PartyMembers
    Democratic18
    Republican34
    Other0
    Vacancies0
    Total52

    Members

    Leadership

    The lieutenant governor of Mississippi acts as president of the 52-member Senate and is given the right to cast a vote in the case of a tie. There are no majority or minority leaders in the Senate.[1]

    Current leadership and members

    Salaries

    See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
    State legislative salaries, 2025[2]
    SalaryPer diem
    $23,500/yearHouse members receive no per diem during session, but are eligible for $40 per day outside of session. Senate per diem information was unavailable.

    Swearing in dates

    See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

    Mississippi legislators assume office the first day of the regular session of the year following election. The Constitution requires the Legislature to convene yearly on the Tuesday after the first Monday in January.

    Membership qualifications

    See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

    In order to run for the Mississippi State Senate, a candidate must:[3]

    • Be 25 years of age or older.
    • Be a qualified elector and resident of the State of Mississippi for four years.
    • Be a resident of the county or district a candidate plans to represent for two years.
    • If running as a Republican or Democrat, pay a $15 filing fee to the State Executive Committee of the party with which the candidate is affiliated.
    • If running as an independent, submit 50 signatures to the Circuit Clerk or the Secretary of State.

    Historical party control

    Republicans won control of the Mississippi State Senate in 2011. In 2023, they won a 36-16 majority.

    The table below shows the partisan history of the Mississippi Senate following every general election from 1991 to 2023. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

    Mississippi State Senate election results: 1991-2023

    Party 91 95 99 03 07[4] 11 15 19 23
    Democrats 39 34 34 27 28 21 20 16 16
    Republicans 13 18 18 24 24 31 32 36 36
    Other 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

    Trifecta history

    A state government trifecta is a term that describes single party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Democrats held a trifecta for four years between 2000 to 2003. Republicans held a trifecta for six years from 2012 to 2017. The table below shows state government trifectas in Mississippi from 1992 to 2019.

    Mississippi Party Control: 1992-2026
    Four years of Democratic trifectas  •  Fifteen years of Republican trifectas
    Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
    Governor R R R R R R R R D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
    Senate D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R[5] D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
    House D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

    Elections

    Elections by year

    Mississippi state senators serve four-year terms, with all seats up for election every four years. Mississippi is one of only four states to hold elections during odd years, along with Louisiana, Virginia, and New Jersey.[6]

    2027

    See also: Mississippi State Senate elections, 2027

    Elections for the Mississippi State Senate will take place in 2027. The general election is on November 2, 2027.

    2023

    See also: Mississippi State Senate elections, 2023

    Elections for the Mississippi State Senate took place in 2023. The general election was on November 7, 2023. A primary was August 8, 2023, and a primary runoff was August 29, 2023. The filing deadline was February 1, 2023.

    In the 2023 elections, Republicans maintained their majority and Democrats picked up one seat from 15-36 to 16-36.

    Mississippi State Senate
    Party As of November 7, 2023 After November 8, 2023
         Democratic Party 15 16
         Republican Party 36 36
         Independent 1 0
    Total 52 52

    2019

    See also: Mississippi State Senate elections, 2019

    Elections for the Mississippi State Senate took place in 2019. The primary was on August 6, 2019, the primary runoff was on August 27, and the general election was on November 5. The filing deadline for candidates was March 1, 2019.

    Mississippi State Senate
    Party As of November 5, 2019 After November 6, 2019
         Democratic Party 18 16
         Republican Party 31 36
         Vacancies 3 0
    Total 52 52

    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.[7] The 2015 election did not change the partisan count of the chamber.

    Mississippi State Senate
    Party As of November 3, 2015 After November 3, 2015
         Democratic Party 20 20
         Republican Party 32 32*
    Total 52 52

    In District 37, Robert Dearing (D) defeated incumbent Melanie Sojourner (R) by 64 votes. Sojourner formally challenged the outcome of the general election, claiming that there were irregularities at the polls. A Senate committee took up the challenge in January, and the chamber voted 47-3 to seat Dearing.[8][9]

    Vacancies

    See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

    If there is a vacancy in the Mississippi State Legislature, a special election is required to fill the vacant seat. The governor must call for an election no later than 30 days after the vacancy happened. After the governor sets the election date, the counties conducting the election must be given at least 60 days' notice before the election. All qualifying deadlines are 50 days before the election.[13]

    The governor can choose not to issue a writ of election if the vacancy occurs in the same calendar year as the general election for state officials.[13]

    DocumentIcon.jpg See sources: Mississippi Code Ann. § 23-15-851

    District map

    See also: Mississippi state legislative districts

    The state of Mississippi has 174 legislative districts. Each district elects one representative. The state Senate has 52 districts and the state House has 122 districts.

    Use the interactive map below to find your district.

    Redistricting

    See also: Redistricting in Mississippi

    In Mississippi, both congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature. Congressional district lines are approved as regular legislation and are thus subject to veto by the governor. State legislative district boundaries are approved as a joint resolution; as such, they are not subject to gubernatorial veto.[14]

    If the legislature cannot approve a state legislative redistricting plan, a five-member commission must draw the lines. This commission comprises the chief justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court, the attorney general, the secretary of state, and the majority leaders of the Mississippi State Senate and the Mississippi House of Representatives.[14]

    The Mississippi Constitution requires that state legislative district boundaries be contiguous. State statutes further require that state legislative districts "be compact and cross political boundaries as little as possible."[14]

    2020

    See also: Redistricting in Mississippi after the 2020 census

    Upon completion of the 2020 census, Mississippi will draft and enact new district maps. Before the Mississippi Standing Joint Congressional Redistricting Committee and Standing Joint Legislative Committee on Reapportionment & Redistricting began redrawing district boundaries, the state did not realize a timeline or schedule for their work.

    Lee Sanderlin wrote in the Mississippi Clarion Ledger in December 2021. that "lawmakers are expected to take up legislative redistricting later in the 2022 session" since the state's next legislative elections are in 2023.[15] Redistricting authorities in Mississippi completed congressional redistricting at the beginning of the 2022 legislative session, and legislative redistricting in March 2022.[16]

    2010

    Mississippi received its local census data on February 3, 2011. The state's population grew 4.3 percent, with several of its well-known cities (Jackson, Gulfport, Biloxi) losing as much as 13 percent. Most of the state's population loss was in the north-central region and along the western edge.

    Republicans controlled the Legislature and governorship at the time of redistricting. Because Mississippi holds legislative elections in odd-numbered years, the legislature was given a tight deadline -- June 1, 2011 -- for redistricting in time for the 2011 elections while allowing 60 days of review by the DOJ. The deadline passed without a plan, meaning any new maps would not take effect until 2015. Elections were held with the previous maps, and the House passed a new map in April 2012, with the Senate following in May.[17] The House plan included five two-incumbent races.

    Sessions

    Legislation

    The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the Mississippi State Senate has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the Senate to the House and legislation that has already been approved by the House and signed by the governor after its passage in the Senate. Information on legislation provided below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. The tracker is fully interactive. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read its text in full and see its voting history. You can click the headings to sort the content in the column. You can also rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Finally, in the bottom-left corner of the tracker is a magnifying glass, which, when clicked, will allow you to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50.

    Dates of legislative sessions in Mississippi by year

    2025

    See also: 2025 Mississippi legislative session and Dates of 2025 state legislative sessions

    In 2025, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 7, 2025, and adjourn on April 3, 2025.



    About legislative sessions in Mississippi

    The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.[32] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.

    Article IV of the Mississippi Constitution establishes when the Mississippi State Legislature, of which the Senate is a part, is to meet. Section 36 of Article IV states that the legislature is to convene in regular session on the Tuesday following the first Monday in January of each year. Section 36 limits the length of regular sessions to ninety calendar days, except for once every four years when the regular session can last up to one hundred twenty-five calendar days. The most recent one hundred twenty-five day session was in 2008, and the next session of this kind was in 2012.

    Section 36 also allows the Legislature to extend its sessions for thirty days by a two-thirds vote of both legislative houses. There is no limit on the number of times a session can be extended in this way. In 2010, the Legislature extended its session once, moving the date of adjournment from April 3 to May 3.

    Article V of the Mississippi Constitution gives the Governor of Mississippi the power to call the Legislature into extraordinary session. Section 121 of Article V enumerates this power.

    Legislative roles and procedures

    Every state legislature throughout the country features its own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, procedures for filling membership vacancies, and redistricting.

    Veto overrides

    Veto Override Graphic-No party.png

    See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures

    State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Mississippi are listed below.

    How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members present in both chambers.

    Two-thirds of members present in both chambers must vote to override a veto. If all members are in attendance, this is 82 of the 122 members in the Mississippi House of Representatives and 35 of the 52 members in the Mississippi State Senate. Mississippi is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto.

    How can vetoes be overridden after the legislature has adjourned?

    Vetoes can be overridden when the next regular session convenes.[33][34]

    Authority: Article IV, Section 72 of the Mississippi Constitution.

    "Every Bill which shall pass both Houses shall be presented to the Governor of the state. If he approve, he shall sign it; but if he does not approve, he shall return it, with his objections, to the House in which it originated, which shall enter the objections at large upon its Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such reconsideration two-thirds (2/3) of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, with the objections, to the other House, by which, likewise, it shall be reconsidered; and if approved by two-thirds (2/3) of that House, it shall become a law; but in all such cases the votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas and nays, and the names of the persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively."

    Role in state budget

    See also: Mississippi state budget and finances
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    Check out Ballotpedia articles about policy in your state on:
    Budgets • Civil liberties • Education • Elections • Energy • Environment • Healthcare • Pensions

    The state operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[35]

    1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in June of the year preceding the start of the new fiscal year.
    2. State agencies submit their budget requests to the governor in August.
    3. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature by November 15. This deadline is extended to January 31 for a newly elected governor.
    4. The legislature typically adopts a budget in March or April. The fiscal year begins July 1.

    Mississippi is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[35][36]

    The governor is legally required to submit a balanced budget proposal. Likewise, the legislature is legally required to pass a balanced budget.[35]

    Committees

    See also: List of committees in Mississippi state government

    Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.

    • Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
    • Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
    • Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.

    Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The Mississippi State Senate has 33 standing committees:

    Constitutional amendments

    In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.

    The methods by which the Mississippi Constitution can be amended:

    See also: Article XV of the Mississippi Constitution and Laws governing the initiative process in Mississippi

    Note on Mississippi:

    Mississippi has an initiated constitutional amendment process, including a signature distribution requirement based on five congressional districts. However, the requirements cannot be met, according to the Mississippi Supreme Court, because the state has four congressional districts following reapportionment in 2001. As a result, the process remains part of the state constitution but cannot be carried out in practice.[37]


    Mississippi Constitution
    Seal of Mississippi.jpg
    Preamble
    Articles
    1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15

    The Mississippi Constitution provides two mechanisms for amending the state's constitution—a citizen-initiated process and a legislative process. Mississippi requires a simple majority vote (50% plus 1) for voters to approve constitutional amendments.

    Initiative

    See also: Initiated constitutional amendment

    An indirect initiated constitutional amendment is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends a state's constitution. There are two states – Massachusetts and Mississippi – that allow citizens to initiate indirect constitutional amendments.

    While a direct initiated constitutional amendment is placed on the ballot once supporters file the required number of valid signatures, an indirect initiated constitutional amendment is first presented to the state legislature, which has various options depending on the state.

    In Mississippi, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to at least 12% of the total number of votes cast for governor in the last gubernatorial general election immediately preceding the signature deadline—not necessarily the gubernatorial election immediately preceding the targeted election date. A simple majority vote is required for voter approval.

    Beginning with the day the sponsor receives the ballot title and summary, proponents have one year to circulate petitions and receive certification from the county circuit clerks. Signatures must be submitted to the secretary of state at least 90 days prior to the beginning of the regular session—which begins in the first week of January.

    Once it is determined that proponents of a measure have collected enough signatures, the measure is filed with the Mississippi State Legislature on the first day of the legislative session. The legislature must act on the measure within four months of that date. The legislature may choose to adopt the measure by a majority vote in each house. Whether the legislature adopts or rejects the measure, the proposed amendment proceeds to the ballot. The legislature may also choose to approve an amended alternate version of the measure. In this case, both measures appear on the ballot together.

    An initiative must receive a majority of the total votes cast for that particular initiative and must also receive more than 40% of the total votes cast in that election.

    Note on Mississippi:

    Mississippi has an initiated constitutional amendment process, including a signature distribution requirement based on five congressional districts. However, the requirements cannot be met, according to the Mississippi Supreme Court, because the state has four congressional districts following reapportionment in 2001. As a result, the process remains part of the state constitution but cannot be carried out in practice.[38]

    Legislature

    See also: Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

    A two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required during one legislative session for the Mississippi State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 77 votes in the Mississippi House of Representatives and 35 votes in the Mississippi State Senate, assuming no vacancies. The absolute number of those voting in favor must be equal to at least a majority of the members elected to each house. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.


    See also

    Elections Mississippi State Government State Legislatures State Politics
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    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Mississippi State Senate 2008-2011
    2. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2025 Legislator Compensation," December 2, 2025
    3. ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "Filing Fees and Qualifications," accessed December 17, 2013
    4. ↑ Republicans gained a majority in 2007 when two Democratic state senators switched their party affiliation. Democrats regained the majority as a result of the 2007 elections.
    5. ↑ Republicans gained a majority in 2007 when two Democratic state senators switched their party affiliation. Democrats regained the majority as a result of the 2007 elections.
    6. ↑ The Thicket, "Why do four states have odd-year elections?" August 25, 2011
    7. ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "2015 Elections Calendar," accessed December 2, 2014
    8. ↑ Associated Press, "Sojourner challenges Mississippi Senate loss to Dearing," December 4, 2015
    9. ↑ Daily Journal, "Dearing seated as Legislature inches closer to taking up bills," January 19, 2016
    10. ↑ Follow the Money, "Mississippi 2011 - Candidates," accessed July 29, 2014
    11. ↑ Follow the Money, "Mississippi 2007 - Candidates," accessed July 29, 2014
    12. ↑ Follow the Money, "Mississippi 2003 - Candidates," accessed July 29, 2014
    13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Justia US Law, "2020 Mississippi Code," accessed February 6, 2023 (Statute 23-15-851)
    14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 All About Redistricting, "Mississippi," accessed May 4, 2015
    15. ↑ Clarion Ledger, "Redistricting committee finalizes Mississippi congressional map proposal, expanding 2nd District," December 15, 2021
    16. ↑ Mississippi Today, "House Republicans pass redistricting plan that creates sprawling majority-Black congressional district," January 6, 2022
    17. ↑ The Associated Press, "Mississippi House adopts Senate redistricting plan," May 3, 2012
    18. ↑ Clarion Ledger, "Mississippi lawmakers to halt legislative session over coronavirus," March 17, 2020
    19. ↑ Clarion Ledger, "Mississippi Legislature will not come back April 1, as coronavirus spreads," March 26, 2020
    20. ↑ Clarion Ledger, "Amid coronavirus pandemic, Mississippi Legislature will reconvene on May 18," April 27, 2020
    21. ↑ WLOX, "Mississippi Legislature to reconvene Thursday," May 5, 2020
    22. ↑ The Associated Press, "Mississippi lawmakers pass aid for tire plant, shipyard," accessed February 16, 2021
    23. ↑ Mississippi Watchdog, "Plenty of issues for Mississippi Legislature to tackle in 2015," January 2, 2015
    24. ↑ StateScape, "Session Schedules," accessed July 29, 2014
    25. ↑ WDAM, "Mississippi legislature begins 2014 session," January 7, 2014
    26. ↑ GulfLive.com, "13 things to watch in the 2014 Mississippi Legislature," January 3, 2014
    27. ↑ StateScape, "Session Schedules," accessed February 16, 2021
    28. ↑ Gulf Live, "AP analysis: 2013 Mississippi Legislative session mixes substance, silliness," April 6, 2013
    29. ↑ StateScape, "Session Schedules," accessed February 16, 2021 (Archived)
    30. ↑ Mississippi State Legislature, "2011 Daily Action Reports," accessed February 16, 2021
    31. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislative Session Calendar," accessed February 16, 2021 (Archived)
    32. ↑ Find Law, "Tenth Amendment - U.S. Constitution," accessed May 20, 2017
    33. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "The Veto Process," accessed June 22, 2017
    34. ↑ Mississippi First, "Governor Bryant Vetoes SB 2161," April 24, 2015
    35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
    36. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Separation of Powers: Executive Veto Powers," accessed January 26, 2024
    37. ↑ Mississippi Supreme Court, "In Re Initiative Measure No. 65: Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler V Michael Watson, in His Official Capacity as Secretary of State for the State of Mississippi," May 14, 2021
    38. ↑ Mississippi Supreme Court, "In Re Initiative Measure No. 65: Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler V Michael Watson, in His Official Capacity as Secretary of State for the State of Mississippi," May 14, 2021
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