Roger Wicker

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Roger Wicker
Junior Senator from Mississippi
Incumbent
Assumed office  December 31, 2007 Serving with Thad Cochran
Preceded by	Trent Lott
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi's 1st district
In office January 4, 1995 – December 31, 2007
Preceded by	Jamie Whitten
Succeeded by	Travis Childers
Born	July 5, 1951 (1951-07-05) (age 56) Pontotoc, Mississippi
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Gayle Wicker
Religion	Southern Baptist
Website	Roger Wicker, United States Senator

Roger Frederick Wicker (born July 5, 1951) is an American politician, currently a Republican U.S. Senator from Mississippi. Wicker previously served in the United States House of Representatives, representing Mississippi's 1st congressional district, which includes much of the northern portion of the state including Columbus, Oxford, Southaven, and Tupelo.

[edit] Early and family life

Wicker was born in Pontotoc, Mississippi on July 5, 1951. He served as a page in the U.S. House of Representatives when he was 16. He earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and political science and a law degree from the University of Mississippi where he was a brother of Sigma Nu. Wicker practiced law for several years before entering politics.

Wicker and his wife Gayle have three children: Margaret, a Capitol Hill staffer in Washington, D.C.; Caroline, who also currently works in D.C.; and McDaniel, an Phi Beta Kappa upperclassman at the University of Mississippi. The Wickers reside in Tupelo, where he is a deacon at First Baptist Church.

[edit] United States House of Representatives

Official photo as U.S. Representative

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. The 1st has always been a somewhat conservative district; it 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, and it had been taken for granted that Whitten would be succeeded by a Republican once he retired.

Then-Rep. and Mrs. Wicker visit with Afghan leader Hamid Karzai

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

[edit] United States Senate

At a press conference on December 31, 2007, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour appointed Wicker to fill the Senate seat vacated by Trent Lott on December 18, 2007.^[2] He was sworn in by the clerk of the U.S. Senate just prior to that news conference.^[3]

Wicker is running for the remainder of Lott's term in the November special election. Wicker's resignation from the House also triggered an May 13, 2008 special election to fill the vacancy in the House.

[edit] Committee assignments

This section called "Committee assignments" does not cite any references or sources. (May 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

• Veterans' Affairs
• Commerce, Science, and Transportation
  • Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
  • Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Insurance, and Automotive Safety
  • Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard
  • Subcommittee on Space, Aeronautics, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security
• Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Airland
  • Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support

[edit] See also

• United States Senate special election in Mississippi, 2008

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Roger Wicker

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Senator Roger Wicker official Senate website
• Roger Wicker, U.S. Senator official campaign website

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
• Profile at SourceWatch Congresspedia

v • d • e United States Senators from Mississippi Class 1: Leake • Holmes • Ellis • Reed • Ellis • Black • Trotter • T. Hickman Williams • Henderson • Speight • Davis • McRae • S. Adams • Davis • Ames • Pease • Bruce • George • Money • J. Williams • Stephens • Bilbo • Stennis • Lott • Wicker Class 2: T. Hill Williams • Reed • R. Adams • Poindexter • Walker • Chalmers • Foote • Brooke • Brown • Revels • Alcorn • Lamar • Walthall • McLaurin • Walthall • Sullivan • McLaurin • Gordon • Percy • Vardaman • Harrison • Eastland • Doxey • Eastland • Cochran