Roger Wicker
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Image:Rogerwicker.jpg Roger F. Wicker (born July 5, 1951), is an American politician, and is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, a position he has held since 1995. Wicker represents the First Congressional District of Mississippi (map), which includes much of the northern portion of the state including Columbus, Oxford, Southaven, and Tupelo.
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Background
Born in Pontotoc, Mississippi, Wicker attended Pontotoc High School where he served as a Congressional Page for Congressman Jamie Whitten. Wicker received a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Journalism from Ole Miss in 1973. He also earned his juris doctorate from the University of Mississippi in 1975. While at Ole Miss, Wicker was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity, student body president, and a member of the Hall of Fame. Following his education, Wicker served in the U.S. Air Force from 1976-1980 and attained the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He served as an Air Force Reservist until 2004. From 1980 to 1982 Wicker worked for Trent Lott on the House Rules Committee before returning to Mississippi to be the Lee County public defender.
Career in Public Service
Image:Wickere02.jpg Roger 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 slew 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, since the 1st had 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.
In the subsequent five re-election campaigns, Wicker has cruised to re-election. Most recently, in 2004, he was reelected with 71 percent of the vote. He is currently a member of the House Appropriations Committee and House Budget Committee. He is also Deputy Majority Whip.
Family
Wicker and his wife Gayle have three children: Margaret, a Capitol Hill staffer in Washington, D.C.; Caroline, a senior at Ole Miss; and McDaniel, a freshman at Ole Miss. The Wickers reside in Tupelo, where he is a deacon at the First Baptist Church.
Website
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