Roger Wicker

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Roger Wicker

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi's 1st district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 4, 1995–
Preceded by	Jamie Whitten
Succeeded by	Incumbent

Born	July 05, 1951 (age 55) Pontotoc, Mississippi
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Gayle Wicker
Religion	Southern Baptist

Roger F. Wicker (born July 5, 1951) is an American politician and a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, a position he has held since 1995. Wicker represents Mississippi's 1st congressional district, which includes much of the northern portion of the state including Columbus, Oxford, Southaven, and Tupelo.

Wicker was born in Pontotoc, Mississippi. He earned a bachelor's degree and a law degree from the University of Mississippi. Wicker practiced law for several years before entering politics.

1 Career in Public Service
2 Family
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Career in Public Service

Congressman and Mrs. Wicker visit with Afghan leader Hamid Karzai

Wicker served as an officer in the United States Air Force from 1976 to 1980.^[1] He served in the Mississippi State Senate from 1987 to 1994, representing a district that included Tupelo. In 1994, Democrat Jamie Whitten, who had represented the 1st District for 54 years, declined to seek re-election, and Wicker triumphed in the Republican primary, defeating a host of candidates including former U.S. Attorney Bob Whitwell, and businessmen Clyde Whitaker and Larry Cobb. In the general election, Wicker defeated Fulton attorney Bill Wheeler, capturing 63 percent of the vote, making him the first Republican to represent the 1st District in over a century. The large victory margin was not surprising, since the 1st had been increasingly friendly to Republicans since the 1960s, even though Democrats still have a substantial majority of registered voters. It has supported the official Democratic candidate for President only once since 1956.

In the subsequent six re-election campaigns, Wicker has cruised to re-election. Most recently, in 2006, he was reelected with over 66 percent of the vote. He is currently a member of the House Appropriations Committee and House Budget Committee. He is also Deputy Republican Whip.

[edit] Family

Wicker and his wife Gayle have three children: Margaret, a Capitol Hill staffer in Washington, D.C.; Caroline, a senior at Ole Miss; and McDaniel, a sophomore at Ole Miss. The Wickers reside in Tupelo, where he is a deacon at the First Baptist Church.