# Mississippi House of Representatives

The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi. According to the state constitution of 1890, it is to comprise no more than 122 members elected for four-year terms. To qualify as a member of the House candidates must be at least 21 years old, a resident of Mississippi for at least four years, and a resident in the district for at least two years. Elections are held the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

## Membership, qualifications, and apportionment

Article 4, Section 36 of the Mississippi Constitution specifies that the state legislature must meet for 125 days every four years and 90 days in other years. The Mississippi House of Representatives has the authority to determine rules of its own proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and expel a member with a two-thirds vote of its membership. Bills must undergo three readings in each house, unless two-thirds of the house dispenses with the rules. They cannot be amended to a new purpose. Amendments to bills must be approved by both houses.
The governor has the power to veto legislation, but legislators can override the veto with a two-thirds decision. From 1890 to 2020, State representatives were authorized under the Mississippi Constitution to elect the Governor of Mississippi if no candidate had received 62 of the 122 electoral votes (one per district) and more than 50% of the popular vote. This occurred only once, in 1999, when Ronnie Musgrove had the most votes statewide, but was one electoral vote and 2936 votes (0.38%) shy of a majority: Musgrove was elected on the first ballot.

### Leadership

The permanent position of Speaker pro tempore was established in a House vote on January 9, 1987. (It had been previously used in temporary situations if the Speaker was not available.) The Speaker Pro Tempore acts as Speaker in the Speaker's absence. The Speaker Pro Tempore also serves ex officio as the Chair of the House Management Committee and as a member of the House Rules Committee. The current Speaker pro tempore is Republican Manly Barton.

## Salary

State representatives earn $23,500 per year.

## Current composition

The following composition reflects the balance of power after the 2023 elections. Republicans secured a majority for the fourth time since 2011, the first year when Republicans won the majority of seats in the State House since 1870. The 2023 elections were marked by new leadership, as the past speaker Phillip Gunn retired, allowing his chief lieutenant, then-Speaker Pro Tempore Jason White to become the new speaker. The 2023 elections saw the seating of 25 new members.
State representatives are elected every four years by the qualified electors of the district for which they are running. Candidates are required to be at least 21 years of age and a resident of the state and district for which they are campaigning.
| Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | |
| Affiliation | Democratic | Republican | Independent | Total | Vacant |
| End of previous legislature (2023) | 40 | 76 | 3 | 119 | 3 |
| Start of current legislature (2024) | 41 | 79 | 2 | 122 | 0 |
| Latest voting share | 33.6% | 64.8% | 1.6% | | |

### List of members
## List of speakers

The House has elected a speaker 63 times since 1817:
| | Name | Party | County/District | Term | Session |
| 1 | Thomas Barnes | | Claiborne | October 6, 1817 – February 8, 1818 | 1st |
| 2 | Edward Turner | | Adams | January 4, 1819 – February 1819 | 2nd |
| 2 | Edward Turner | | Adams (Natchez) | January 3, 1820 – February 12, 1820 | 3rd |
| 3 | Beverly R. Grayson | | Adams | January 1, 1821 – February 12, 1821 | 4th |
| 4 | Cowles Mead | | Jefferson | November 5, 1821 – June 30, 1822 | 5th |
| 5 | Gerard C. Brandon | | Wilkinson | December 23, 1822 – January 21, 1823 | 6th |
| 6 | Cowles Mead | | Jefferson | December 22, 1823 – January 23, 1824 | 7th |
| 6 | Cowles Mead | | Jefferson | January 3, 1825 – February 4, 1825 | 8th |
| 7 | Isaac R. Nicholson | | Copiah | January 2, 1826 – January 31, 1826 | 9th |
| 7 | Isaac R. Nicholson | | Copiah | January 1, 1827 – February 8, 1827 | 10th |
| 8 | Charles B. Green | | Adams | January 7, 1828 – February 16, 1828 | 11th |
| 9 | William L. Sharkey | | Warren | January 5, 1829 – February 6, 1829 | 12th |
| 10 | Joseph Dunbar | | Jefferson | January 4, 1830 – February 13, 1830 | 13th |
| 11 | M. F. Degrafenreid | | Wilkinson | 1832–1833 | |
| 12 | David Pembel | | Adams | 1833–1834 | |
| 13 | A. L. Bingaman | | Adams | 1834–1836 | |
| 14 | John Irvin | | Carroll | 1836–1837 | |
| 15 | William Vannerson | | Lawrence | 1837–1838 | |
| 16 | J. W. King | | Rankin | 1838–1840 | |
| 17 | Jesse Speight | Democratic | Lowndes | 1840–1841 | |
| 18 | James A. Ventress | | Wilkinson | 1841–1842 | |
| 19 | Robert W. Roberts | Democratic | Scott | 1842–1844 | |
| 20 | J. L. Totten | Democratic | Marshall | 1844–1846 | |
| 21 | James Whitfield | Democratic | Lowndes | 1846–1848 | |
| 22 | John J. McRae | Democratic | Clarke | 1848–1852 | |
| 23 | William S. Patton | | Lauderdale | 1852–1854 | |
| 24 | Hiram Cassedy | | Franklin | 1854–1856 | |
| 25 | William S. Barry | Democratic | Lowndes | 1856–1858 | |
| 26 | James L. Autry | | Marshall | 1858–1859 | |
| 27 | J. A. P. Campbell | | Attala | 1859–1861 | |
| 28 | William A. Lake | | Warren | 1861–1862 | |
| 29 | J. P. Scales | Democratic | Carroll | 1862–1863 | |
| 30 | Lock E. Houston | | Monroe | 1863–1865 | |
| 31 | Samuel J. Gholson | Democratic | Monroe | 1865–1866 | |
| 32 | Freeman E. Franklin | Republican | Yazoo | 1870 | |
| 33 | Henry Waterman Warren | Republican | Leake | 1871–1872 | |
| 34 | John R. Lynch | Republican | Adams | 1872–1873 | |
| 35 | Hugh M. Street | Democratic | Prentiss | 1873–1874 | |
| 36 | Isaac D. Shadd | | Warren | 1874–1876 | |
| 37 | Hugh M. Street | Democratic | Prentiss | 1876–1878 | |
| 38 | William A. Percy | Democratic | Washington | 1878–1880 | |
| 39 | Benjamin F. Johns | Democratic | Amite | 1880–1882 | |
| 40 | W. H. H. Tison | Democratic | Lee | 1882 | |
| 41 | William M. Inge | Democratic | Alcorn | 1884–1886 | |
| 42 | Jacob H. Sharp | | Lowndes | 1886–1888 | |
| 43 | Charles B. Mitchell | Democratic | Pontotoc | 1888–1890 | |
| 44 | James S. Madison | Democratic | Noxubee | 1890–1892 | |
| 45 | Hugh M. Street | Democratic | Lauderdale | January 5, 1892 – January 2, 1894 | 1892–1896 |
| 46 | J. K. Vardaman | Democratic | Leflore | January 2, 1894 – February 10, 1894 | 1892–1896 |
| 47 | James F. McCool | Democratic | Attala | January 7, 1896 – February 11, 1898 | 1896–1900 |
| 48 | A. J. Russell | Democratic | Lauderdale | January 2, 1900 – March 5, 1902 | 1900–1904 |
| 49 | Emmet Thomas | Democratic | Washington | 1904–1908 | |
| 50 | Hugh M. Street | Democratic | Lauderdale | 1908–1912 | |
| 51 | Hillrie M. Quin | Democratic | Hinds | 1912–1916 | |
| 52 | Mike Conner | Democratic | Covington | January 1916 – March 1918 | 1916–1920 |
| 52 | Mike Conner | Democratic | Covington | 1920–1924 | |
| 53 | Thomas L. Bailey | Democratic | | 1924–1936 | |
| 54 | Horace Stansel | Democratic | Sunflower | 1936–1936 | |
| 55 | Fielding L. Wright | Democratic | | 1936–1940 | |
| 56 | Samuel Lumpkin | Democratic | Lee | 1940–1944 | |
| 57 | Walter Sillers Jr. | Democratic | Bolivar | 1944–1966 | |
| 58 | John R. Junkin | Democratic | Adams | 1966–1976 | |
| 59 | Buddie Newman | Democratic | | 1976–1988 | |
| 60 | Tim Ford | Democratic | 18 | January 5, 1988 – December 20, 1991 | 1988–1992 |
| 60 | Tim Ford | Democratic | | 1992–2004 | |
| 61 | William J. McCoy | Democratic | 3 | January 6, 2004 – May 18, 2007 | 2004–2008 |
| 61 | William J. McCoy | Democratic | | 2008–2012 | |
| 62 | Philip Gunn | Republican | 56 | January 3, 2012 – April 5, 2015 | 2012–2016 |
| 62 | Philip Gunn | Republican | 56 | January 6, 2016 – March 29, 2019 | 2016–2020 |
| 62 | Philip Gunn | Republican | 56 | January 2, 2020 – April 2, 2023 | 2020–2024 |
| 63 | Jason White | Republican | 48 | January 2, 2024 – Present | 2024–2028 |

## List of speakers pro tempore

Source for session dates:
Before the position was made permanent, Buddie Newman served as Speaker pro tempore in three different stints between 1974 and 1975.
| | Name | Party | County/District | Term | Session |
| 1st | Cecil L. Simmons | Democratic | 37th | January 14, 1987 – August 29, 1987 | 1984–1988 |
| 1st | Cecil L. Simmons | Democratic | 37th | January 5, 1988 – December 20, 1991 | 1988–1992 |
| 2nd | Robert G. Clark Jr. | Democratic | 47th | January 7, 1992 – September 16, 1992 | 1992 |
| 2nd | Robert G. Clark Jr. | Democratic | 47th | January 5, 1993 – April 11, 1995 | 1993–1996 |
| 2nd | Robert G. Clark Jr. | Democratic | 47th | January 2, 1996 – July 22, 1999 | 1996–2000 |
| 2nd | Robert G. Clark Jr. | Democratic | 47th | January 4, 2000 – April 16, 2003 | 2000–2004 |
| 3rd | J. P. Compretta | Republican | 122nd | January 6, 2004 – May 18, 2007 | 2004–2008 |
| 3rd | J. P. Compretta | Republican | 122nd | January 8, 2008 – 2012 | 2008–2012 |
| 4th | Greg Snowden | Republican | 83rd | January 3, 2012 – April 5, 2015 | 2012–2016 |
| 4th | Greg Snowden | Republican | 83rd | January 6, 2016 – March 19, 2019 | 2016–2020 |
| 5th | Jason White | Republican | 48th | January 2, 2020 – April 2, 2023 | 2020–2024 |
| 6th | Manly Barton | Republican | 109th | January 2, 2024 – Present | 2024–2028 |