Charles Delbert Hosemann Jr. (born June 30, 1947) is an American politician and attorney who has been the lieutenant governor of Mississippi since January 2020. From 2008 to 2020, he served as the secretary of state of Mississippi. In his time in elected office, Hosemann has sparred with President Donald Trump, telling Trump to "jump in the Gulf" when the Trump administration sought Mississippi's voting records to identify non-citizens voting.

Early life

Hosemann was born in Vicksburg in western Mississippi. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1969 from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. In 1972, he earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law in Oxford. In 1973, he obtained specialization in Taxation at New York University. Hosemann lives in the capital city of Jackson, where he is a partner with Phelps Dunbar LLP.

Secretary of State of Mississippi (2008–2020)

In the Republican primary election on August 7, 2007, Hosemann received 54 percent of the vote, defeating former mayor of Columbus Jeffrey Rupp and State Representative Mike Lott of Petal. In the general election on November 6, 2007, Hosemann defeated Democrat Robert Smith in the race for Secretary of State. He became the first Republican Secretary of State for Mississippi since James Hill in 1878. He took office on January 10, 2008, succeeding Democrat Eric Clark. During the campaign, he took advantage of his unusual name in order to gain name recognition. The Mississippi Legislature had officially ratified the 13th Amendment in 1995, but the Secretary of State's office had failed to officially notify the National Archives at that time. Doctors Ranjan Batra and Ken Sullivan of the University of Mississippi Medical Center noticed the oversight in 2013 and informed Hosemann, who quickly submitted the appropriate documentation. This action made Mississippi the 36th and most-recent state to ratify the 13th Amendment.

Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi (2020–present)

2019 election

Hosemann ran for lieutenant governor of Mississippi in the 2019 Mississippi general election. In the Republican primary, he defeated Shane Quick and won the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor. In the general election, Hosemann defeated Democrat Jay Hughes, a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives. He was sworn-in to the office on January 14, 2020. As Lt. Governor, Mississippi's agriculture commissioner accused Hosemann of passing a law that allows China, Russia, and other foreign adversaries to own Mississippi farmland. Over 700,000 acres of Mississippi farmland is owned by foreign actors. Hosemann angered conservative senators when he gave 13 committee chairmanships to Democratic state senators. Hosemann supports increased infrastructure spending and allowing local authorities to increase gas taxes. He has supported raising state employees' pay. Hosemann has previously killed bills to allow prayer at school sporting events. Hosemann protected the rights of transgender Mississippians by killing bills that would have taken away their right to play sports with their identified gender.

2023 election

On November 7, 2023, Hosemann defeated his Democratic opponent Ryan Grover in the 2023 Mississippi lieutenant gubernatorial election, winning reelection for a second term.

Political involvement

Hosemann was a candidate for election to the Mississippi's 4th congressional district in 1998. After the resignation of Senator Thad Cochran in March 2018, it was speculated that Governor Bryant would name Hosemann as Cochran's successor, but eventually Bryant appointed Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Cindy Hyde-Smith instead. In 2018, at the Neshoba County Fair, Hosemann announced he would not seek re-election for Secretary of State in 2019. In 2019, Hosemann announced his candidacy for Lt. Governor.

Personal life

Hosemann is married to Lynn L. Hosemann, and together they have three children.

Electoral history