JACKSON — Perry Van Bailey, a Calhoun County farmer, became the newest member of the Mississippi House of Representatives on Feb. 14, cementing him as the shortest-tenured lawmaker out of all the legislators at the state Capitol.
"It is overwhelming," Bailey told the Daily Journal. "I've never been involved in something so detailed like this. It's very rewarding to have your family lift you up like mine have."
Bailey can now begin serving constituents in Calhoun, Grenada, Lafayette and Webster counties. Since he arrived in Jackson during the middle of the 2023 legislative session, he'll be limited in what he can do. The legislative session is governed by deadlines, and the deadline for lawmakers to author general bills has already passed.
Although Bailey cannot write new bills, he can offer amendments to legislation, serve on committees and ask questions about legislative measures.
"Mainly, I plan to learn my way around and continue to learn about my constituents," Bailey said. "And I want to figure out how the procedures work down here."
Bailey eked out a razor-thin, seven-vote victory during the special election for House District 23 on Jan. 31. He replaces Jim Beckett, who resigned from the House to become the new director of the Public Utilities Services.
Though he appeared on the special election ballot without a partisan affiliation, Bailey said he intends to caucus with the Republican Party. House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, is expected to formally assign Bailey to committees in the coming weeks.
The Calhoun City lawmaker is also running in the regular election for state offices. Jack Thomas Willis Jr. and Andy Stepp, along with Bailey, qualified to run in the Republican primary. Andy Clark is running as an independent, and Danny Lampley qualified to run in the Democratic primary.
The winner of the Republican primary will appear alongside Lampley and Clark on the general ballot. A portion of Webster County will remain in District 23 under reapportionment that takes effect in January 2024.
