Mississippi Sen. Briggs Hopson, the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, is done with elected office at the end of his term—for the time being. He will not seek reelection to Senate District 23 for a sixth term nor will he run for a statewide office in the 2027 election, he announced Monday on social media.
“Over the last few weeks, I’ve had many encouraging conversations with friends and colleagues across Mississippi about a potential statewide run for office next year,” he wrote on Facebook. “However, after serious consideration, Ali and I have decided that this is not the right time for us to undertake such a tremendous commitment.”
The Republican senator from Vicksburg also ended any rumors of him running for attorney general next year, saying that he would not be able to give his full devotion to the campaign because of his work.
“Any successful candidate must be 100% committed to the campaign, and that was going to be impossible due to my obligations to legal clients who deserve my attention to their personal and business matters, my Senate constituents, and colleagues who trust me to oversee the Appropriations Committee,” said Hopson, who is a partner in a private legal practice in Vicksburg. “I take these obligations very seriously and feel they deserve my full focus, which would be nearly impossible if I were a statewide candidate.”
The only candidate who has publicly announced a run for Mississippi attorney general is Sean Tindell, who currently serves as the state’s public safety commissioner. Current Attorney General Lynn Fitch is seeking to be Mississippi’s next governor in the 2027 election.
Hopson began serving Senate District 23, which includes Issaquena, Madison, Warren and Yazoo counties, in 2008. As chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee since 2020—one of the most influential positions in the Legislaturehe is responsible for allocating the state budget. The senator is a member of the committees for Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency; Education; Energy; Judiciary A; Ports and Marine Resources; Public Health and Welfare; and Universities and Colleges.
The senator is also currently serving on the Mississippi Standing Joint Legislative Committee on Reapportionment and Redistricting to work on redrawing Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District.
Hopson helped the Senate allocate enough money for teachers to get a $2,000 pay raise this year and a 3% raise in 2022. He was also involved in the negotiations for youth court legislation ahead of the special legislative session in July. When COVID-19 pandemic relief money came to Mississippi, the senator was part of the team deciding which projects in which to direct the money.
When the Legislature voted to change the state flag to remove the Confederate emblem in 2020, Hopson urged his colleagues to vote for the resolution. He said he wanted to ensure a future where his children and grandchildren could stay in Mississippi and prosper.
“Today you and Mississippi have a date with destiny. Destiny is calling. … I don’t know how long I want Mississippi to be kicked around because of a piece of cloth we have flying over our capitol,” Hopson said.
He supported legislation in 2018 to create school-safety programs in public schools, colleges and universities around Mississippi where designated licensed firearm owners who complete approved training courses would carry a concealed gun for the explicit purpose of resisting violent intruders on campus. The senator introduced the Senate amendment to a House gun bill, which would create the “Mississippi School Safety Act.” Public and private schools, colleges and universities throughout the state can create voluntary safety programs that enable teachers or staff members with enhanced concealed-carry licenses to take an annual training course, including a psychological screening.
That bill died on the House’s calendar after the Senate passed it with a few amendments.
Hopson authored the Forensic Mental Health Act in 2018 and 2019 when it became law. It allows more providers to examine men and women charged with crimes who need mental-health evaluations. Before the legislation became law, few providers besides the forensic unit at the Mississippi State Hospital in Whitfield can provide the courts with mental assessments. The 2019 law allows courts to contract with more providers, certified by the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, while ensuring men and women with those needs maintain their constitutional rights.
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