Roger Wicker

Roger Wicker
United States 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
Personal details
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Gayle Wicker
Children	Margaret Wicker Carolina Wicker McDaniel Wicker
Residence	Tupelo, Mississippi
Alma mater	University of Mississippi
Occupation	attorney
Website	Roger Wicker, United States Senator
Military service
Branch/service	United States Air Force
Years of service	1976-2004
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel

Roger Frederick Wicker (born July 5, 1951 in Pontotoc, Mississippi) is an American politician from the state of Mississippi. A Republican, he is currently Mississippi's junior U.S. Senator. From 1995 to 2007, Wicker served in the United States House of Representatives, representing Mississippi's 1st congressional district.

Early and family life

Wicker was born in Pontotoc, Mississippi on July 5, 1951. He has Italian, Scottish, and Choctaw ancestry. 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, a Phi Beta Kappa upperclassman at the University of Mississippi. The Wickers reside in Tupelo, where he is a deacon at First Baptist Church.

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. After leaving active duty, he was a member of the Air Force Reserve until his retirement in 2004 as a lieutenant colonel.

Wicker began his political career when he served as a member of Trent Lott's political counsel. He then served in the Mississippi State Senate from 1987 to 1994, representing a district that included Tupelo. He was the first Republican elected to the legislature from Northern Mississippi since Reconstruction.

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, as well as 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. Although almost none of the 1st's living residents had been represented by a Republican before, Wicker's large victory margin was not surprising. The 1st has always been a somewhat conservative district; it has 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.

In Congress, Wicker worked on issues related to medical research and on economic development for his home state. He advocates private-public partnerships to bring investment to rural areas. Wicker also worked for veterans' issues while serving as a member of the Military Construction and Veterans Affarirs Subcommittee[1].

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. He was sworn in by the clerk of the U.S. Senate just prior to that news conference.

Wicker ran for the remainder of Lott's term in the November 2008 special election against Barbour's predecessor as governor Ronnie Musgrove. He won the seat with 55% of the vote. Wicker's resignation from the House also triggered a May 13, 2008 special election to fill the vacancy in the House, which was won by Democrat Travis Childers.

Committee assignments

• 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

Electoral history

2008 Mississippi United States Senate Election

Roger Wicker (R) (inc.) 55%

Ronnie Musgrove (D) 45%

2006 Mississippi 1st District United States Congressional Election

Roger Wicker (R) (inc.) 65.9%

Ken Hurt (D) 34.1%

2004 Mississippi 1st District United States Congressional Election

Roger Wicker (R) (inc.) 79%

Barbara Dale Washer (Reform) 21%

1994 Mississippi 1st District United States Congressional Election

Roger Wicker (R) 63%

Bill Wheeler (D) 37%

See also

• United States Senate special election in Mississippi, 2008

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
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Profile at Vote Smart
• Profile at SourceWatch Congresspedia