Delbert Hosemann

Hosemann was born on June 30, 1947, in Vicksburg in western Mississippi. He was the oldest of three children, having two sisters. His heritage is Catholic-Austrian on his father's side and Irish on his mother's side. He graduated from the St. Aloysius High School in Vicksburg. == Early political ambitions ==

1981 Congressional special election Upon the resignation of U.S. Representative Jon Hinson from Mississippi's 4th congressional district in 1981, Hosemann, who was at the time a political unknown, considered running for the seat in the special election. In March 1981, he announced his candidacy for the seat as a Republican, saying he would run a "positive and upbeat" campaign. In his announcement, he lamented unnecessary regulations and restrictions. However, the 100-delegate district GOP convention in April elected Liles Williams over Hosemann in a 54-44 ballot. Hosemann considered running in the 1982 election for the 4th district after losing in the special. 1998 Congressional campaign Hosemann was the Republican candidate for election to Mississippi's 4th congressional district in 1998. Hosemann came first in the primary and later won in the runoff election despite criticisms of being a "closet liberal" for donating to Democratic Mississippi governor Ray Mabus in 1987. Governor Kirk Fordice endorsed Hosemann's runoff opponent in the primary. Hosemann had support from the National Rifle Association and the National Right to Life Committee. Hosemann was considered a strong candidate: he had a financial advantage, early advertising, and running during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal. He eventually ran in the Republican primary against two other candidates. He dropped out of the race in March 2003 out of concerns of exhausting funds from party donors in a three-way race. ==Secretary of State of Mississippi (2008–2020)==

with troops deployed in Kuwait, 2018|upright=1.25 Elections In the 2007 Mississippi elections, Hosemann ran for the Mississippi Secretary of State position to succeed Eric Clark. Political analyst Sid Salter noted Hosemann in May as one of the early leaders in the campaign. He campaigned on voter ID laws, better election administration, and fair management of public lands. One of Hosemann's campaign ads took advantage of his unusual name, which was considered by several staffers at the Clarion-Ledger as one of the best of 2007. In the primary election in August, he received 56% of the vote, besting former mayor of Columbus Jeffrey Rupp and State Representative Mike Lott of Petal. In the general election in November, Hosemann defeated Robert Smith with 58% of the vote. Hosemann ran for reelection in the 2011 Mississippi elections. He announced his intent in February 2011, focusing on implementing Mississippi's voter ID law. He easily won the Republican primary against a Gulfport city council member, In the primary, he reused his campaign commercials focusing on his unusual name. No Democrat ran against Hosemann, though the Reform party attempted to put a candidate on the ballot. In the end, he ran uncontested. He ran unopposed in the Republican primary and was set to face Democrat Charles Graham. An October poll by Mason-Dixon showed Hosemann to win 63% to 27%. He ended up winning against retired firefighter Graham 61% to 36%. Tenure Under Hosemann's tenure, he worked to enact voter ID laws. The law first took effect in the 2014 primary elections. In 2014, he won a federal court case to keep state voter file information private from the federal government. He asserted that there was no voter fraud in the 2016 election. In 2017, he refused the Trump administration's request to Mississippi's voting records to identify non-citizens voting. The Mississippi Legislature officially ratified the 13th Amendment in 1995, but the Secretary of State's office failed to officially notify the National Archives at that time. The oversight was identified and reported to Hosemann in 2013, who quickly submitted the appropriate documentation, making Mississippi the final state to ratify the amendment. In 2018, at the Neshoba County Fair, Hosemann announced he would not seek re-election for Secretary of State. In March 2018, he was considered a potential successor to U.S. Senator Thad Cochran after his resignation. ==Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi (2020–present)==

Elections Hosemann announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor in the 2019 election. During the campaign, he focused on increasing teacher pay, more infrastructure funding, expanding Medicaid, and fully funding pre-K education. He also proposed gas tax increases and increasing legislative transparency. In the general election, Hosemann defeated Democrat Mississippi House Representative Jay Hughes 60% to 40%. In the 2023 Mississippi elections, Hosemann ran for reelection. In his announcement, he emphasized the improved fiscal status of Mississippi. Hosemann's campaign focused on cutting taxes, improving government efficiency, adding more prosecutors to judicial districts, funding infrastructure projects, increasing education resources, and building regionalized healthcare networks; he also touted his "conservative values." Hosemann outraised McDaniel throughout the campaign despite McDaniel receiving over $1 million in dark money. Hosemann defeated McDaniel 52% to 43%. He was sworn in on January 4, 2024. Tenure As Lieutenant Governor, Hosemann serves as the president of the Mississippi Senate and plays a significant role in whether legislation passes. In 2022, he oversaw the legislature passing the largest tax cut in state history. The legislature also passed legislation for a new school funding formula and a youth workforce development program. During discussions on whether to change the Mississippi Flag in 2020, he initially voiced support for it to be done through referendum, but later supported the Mississippi legislature changing it; the legislature later decided retired the flag. A resident of Jackson, Mississippi, he blamed the 2022 Jackson water crisis on city leadership and refused to commit to funding for fixing infrastructure. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he supported Mississippians getting vaccinated. Hosemann angered conservative senators when he gave 13 committee chairmanships to Democratic state senators, a decision based on the fact the Senate has 52 members with 41 committees. In his second term, Hosemann has pushed for medicaid expansion, clashing with Governor Tate Reeves. He also advocated for ending the state income tax and reducing the state grocery tax for 2025 legislative priorities. In 2025, he unveiled a $326 million tax cut plan to reduce the state income tax and grocery tax, as well as raise the gas tax to pay for infrastructure improvements. ==Personal life==

Hosemann married Lynn Hosemann (Lagen) in 1970, who he met at the University of Notre Dame; together they have three children. He is Catholic. He is a member of the National Rifle Association and Ducks Unlimited. He has completed the New York City Marathon and Boston Marathon. He tested positive again two years later during the opening days of the legislative session. On February 19, 2025, Hosemann collapsed while presiding over a session in the Mississippi State Senate from dehydration; he later recovered. ==Electoral history==