Congress Monitor Build Handoff

Area: Full Workup (one official, all sections) (eo_full_workup) Filed: 2026-05-03T03:51:09.458Z Source: External LLM via /handoff/congress (attempt #80276) Resolved official: Roger F. Wicker (entity #10710) Ingest result: 53 facts · 54 sources · 2 silences · 4 contradictions · 8 voting_records · 3 skipped

Briefing Sent

Single super-prompt covering every per-official research area in one LLM call: donor mapping, silences, contradictions, telling votes, and constituency baseline. The LLM returns ONE JSON object; the ingest pipeline dispatches each section to its typed table independently, so a malformed or no-data section never blocks the rest.

Result

{ "target_official": { "name": "Roger F. Wicker", "bioguide_id": "W000437" },

"donor_mapping": { "facts": [ { "fact_text": "Career (1993-2024): Raised $29,854,217; Spent $26,174,025; Cash on hand $3,669,110; Debts $0. Top career industry: Securities & Investment ($1,439,158). Top career contributor: American Israel Public Affairs Cmte ($267,583).", "date_occurred": "2024-06-30", "confidence": "secondary", "source_url": "https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cycle=Career&type=C&cid=N00003280&newMem=N" }, { "fact_text": "2019-2024 election cycle: Raised $9,761,165; Spent $8,618,994; Cash on hand $2,994,748. Top contributing organizations: American Israel Public Affairs Cmte ($339,103 — $334,103 individuals + $5,000 PAC), Lockheed Martin ($70,625 — $60,625 individuals + $10,000 PAC), Cm12 ($52,800), Horne LLP ($52,200), BGR Group ($48,500).", "date_occurred": "2024-12-31", "confidence": "secondary", "source_url": "https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cid=N00003280&cycle=2024" }, { "fact_text": "Top contributing industries (1993-2024): Securities & Investment ($1,439,158), Health Professionals ($1,418,707), Leadership PACs ($1,389,777), Lawyers/Law Firms ($1,371,274), Oil & Gas ($1,271,396).", "date_occurred": "2024-06-30", "confidence": "secondary", "source_url": "https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cycle=Career&type=C&cid=N00003280&newMem=N" }, { "fact_text": "Source of Funds (2019-2024): Large Individual Contributions 48.32% ($4,716,838), PAC Contributions 32.32% ($3,154,628), Other 13.50% ($1,318,394), Small Individual Contributions 5.85% ($571,305).", "date_occurred": "2024-12-31", "confidence": "secondary", "source_url": "https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cid=N00003280&cycle=2024" }, { "fact_text": "Quiver Quantitative estimates Wicker's net worth at $781,400 as of March 2026 — the 354th highest in Congress. Approximately $258,900 invested in publicly traded assets tracked live. Wicker has made approximately 10 stock trades in his career with total trade volume around $153,500.", "date_occurred": "2026-03-18", "confidence": "secondary", "source_url": "https://www.quiverquant.com/news/Net+Worth+Update:+Senator+Roger+F.+Wicker+Made+an+Estimated+$781.4K+in+the+Stock+Market+Last+Month" }, { "fact_text": "Wicker serves as Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee (2025-present). He previously served as ranking member before the GOP won the Senate majority. He also sits on Commerce, Science and Transportation; Environment and Public Works; and Rules and Administration committees. He previously served in the U.S. House (1995-2007).", "date_occurred": "2025-01-03", "confidence": "secondary", "source_url": "https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cid=N00003280&cycle=2024" }, { "fact_text": "Wicker is co-author of the Dickey-Wicker Amendment (1996), which prohibits federal funds from being used for 'research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death.' This amendment has been attached to HHS appropriations bills every year since 1996, restricting human embryonic stem cell research.", "date_occurred": "1996-01-22", "confidence": "secondary", "source_url": "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2020/9/wicker-leads-94-pro-life-legislators-in-call-to-end-taxpayer-funded-embryonic-stem-cell-research" } ], "connections": [ { "donor_entity_name": "American Israel Public Affairs Cmte", "relationship_type": "major_donor", "description": "1993-2024: $267,583 ($262,583 individuals + $5,000 PAC). 2019-2024: $339,103 ($334,103 individuals + $5,000 PAC). Single largest career contributor by a wide margin. Pro-Israel industry total: $406,089 for 2019-2024 cycle.", "confidence": "secondary", "source_url": "https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cid=N00003280&cycle=2024" }, { "donor_entity_name": "Lockheed Martin", "relationship_type": "major_donor", "description": "2019-2024: $70,625 ($60,625 individuals + $10,000 PAC). Defense contractor with significant Mississippi operations benefiting from Armed Services Committee oversight.", "confidence": "secondary", "source_url": "https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cid=N00003280&cycle=2024" }, { "donor_entity_name": "BGR Group", "relationship_type": "major_donor", "description": "1993-2024: $152,100 ($148,100 individuals + $4,000 PAC). Top DC lobbying firm.", "confidence": "secondary", "source_url": "https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cycle=Career&type=C&cid=N00003280&newMem=N" } ] },

"silences": [ { "topic": "In-person town halls and direct constituent accessibility — spanning years of documented refusals", "expected_position": "As the senior Senator from Mississippi — the nation's poorest state with 14.3% poverty rate, 36.4% Black population, and heavy reliance on Medicaid and SNAP — Wicker would be expected to hold in-person town halls to engage constituents on the OBBB's Medicaid and SNAP cuts, trade war impacts on farmers, and federal workforce reductions.", "window_start": "2025-01-01", "window_end": "2025-08-15", "evidence_summary": "The Clarion Ledger reported in April 2025 that Mississippi voters were 'demanding town hall meetings with Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith and Roger Wicker to discuss their concerns about the state of the nation.' Constituents including nurses, social workers, doctors, combat veterans, and small business owners 'descended on the Jackson field offices of both Hyde-Smith and Wicker' but 'were unable to visit with the senators.' Wicker's staff was left a message that 'Things are not normal, things are not okay, this is not America…we need to hear more from our Senator…Senator Wicker needs to lead from the front.' Wicker declined invitations. On August 15, 2025, Mississippi Today reported that Wicker told constituents 'Get a life' when asked about calls and emails his office was receiving, asking 'Why is everyone's head exploding?' His office later claimed the comment was directed at himself, not constituents — a claim the viral TikTok video contradicted. Groups affiliated with 50501 protests organized demonstrations outside the federal courthouse in Jackson over his comments.", "primary_url": "https://www.clarionledger.com/story/opinion/2025/04/01/ms-u-s-senators-not-holding-town-halls-voters-react/82739498007/" }, { "topic": "Blocking of the Major Richard Star Act for combat-injured veterans — and subsequent Facebook blocking of veteran advocates", "expected_position": "As Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a senator representing Mississippi home to over 167,000 veterans, Wicker would be expected to advance legislation restoring retirement pay for approximately 54,000 combat-injured veterans who were forced to medically retire early.", "window_start": "2025-10-08", "window_end": "2025-11-24", "evidence_summary": "On October 8, 2025, Wicker became the only senator out of 100 to block a unanimous consent vote on the Major Richard Star Act (S. 1032) — bipartisan legislation with 76 co-sponsors that would have restored retirement pay for roughly 54,000 combat-injured veterans. Wicker objected, calling it too expensive and 'double dipping.' Stars and Stripes noted 'the Pentagon loses more in accounting errors than the cost of the Major Richard Star Act.' Dozens of veteran advocates reported Wicker then blocked them from his official Facebook page after they posted factual comments about retirement offsets on his Veterans Day post. A Change.org petition titled 'Wicker's War Machine Exposed' gathered signatures from veterans who said they were blocked for asking him to support the bill.", "primary_url": "https://www.stripes.com/branches/army/2025-10-30/pentagon-loses-accounting-errors-cost-major-richard-star-act-15831471.html" } ],

"contradictions": { "claims": [ { "claim_text": "On March 10, 2021, Wicker tweeted about the American Rescue Plan: 'Independent restaurant operators have won $28.6 billion worth of targeted relief. This funding will ensure small businesses can survive the pandemic by helping to adapt their operations and keep their employees on the payroll.' He co-authored the RESTAURANTS Act with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema that was included in the package.", "claim_date": "2021-03-10", "claim_type": "statement", "source_url": "https://www.vox.com/2021/3/22/22344316/poll-republican-party-american-rescue-plan-wicker" }, { "claim_text": "Wicker voted Nay on the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 on March 6, 2021, along with every other Republican senator. When asked by a reporter why he opposed the bill if the restaurant money was important, Wicker replied: 'One good provision in a $1.9 trillion bill doesn't mean I have to vote for the whole thing' and called the question 'a stupid question.' Speaker Pelosi stated: 'Vote no and take the dough.'", "claim_date": "2021-03-06", "claim_type": "vote", "source_url": "https://www.huffpost.com/entry/roger-wicker-covid-relief-credit_n_60494f0bc5b6d7794c8b226a" }, { "claim_text": "In December 2011, Wicker voted for a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution, stating: 'The federal government continues to borrow roughly 40 cents of every dollar it spends, and our nation is facing $15 trillion in debt.' In February 2013, he co-sponsored another Balanced Budget Amendment effort and signed the Contract with America supporting a balanced budget amendment and line-item veto.", "claim_date": "2011-12-14", "claim_type": "statement", "source_url": "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2011/12/wicker-votes-for-balanced-budget-amendment" }, { "claim_text": "On July 1, 2025, Wicker voted Yea on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), which the CBO projected would add approximately $3-4 trillion to the federal deficit over 10 years. He voted with all 51 Republicans and Vice President Vance to pass the bill. Wicker did not publicly reconcile his decades-long advocacy for a Balanced Budget Amendment and Cut, Cap, and Balance Act with his vote for deficit-expanding legislation.", "claim_date": "2025-07-01", "claim_type": "vote", "source_url": "https://www.wtva.com/news/mississippi-alabama-senators-voted-in-favor-of-big-beautiful-bill/article_8c92c0a2-35d9-11f0-80e4-3bb2e7420e08.html" }, { "claim_text": "As Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Wicker's official website touts his advocacy for 'service members, support[ing] Mississippians in the defense industry' and securing $528.7 million for Mississippi military installations in the FY2026 NDAA. He presents himself as a champion of the military and veterans.", "claim_date": "2025-12-17", "claim_type": "platform", "source_url": "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2025/12/chairman-wicker-fy26-ndaa-recognizes-full-range-of-mississippi-defense-contributions" }, { "claim_text": "On October 8, 2025, Wicker became the only senator to block a unanimous consent vote on the Major Richard Star Act, which would have restored retirement pay for 54,000 combat-injured veterans. He called it 'too expensive' and labeled it 'double dipping,' despite the fact that the Pentagon loses more money to accounting errors annually than the bill would cost over 10 years. Dozens of veteran advocates reported Wicker then blocked them from his official Facebook page after they posted about the retirement offset issue on his Veterans Day post.", "claim_date": "2025-10-08", "claim_type": "vote", "source_url": "https://www.stripes.com/branches/army/2025-10-30/pentagon-loses-accounting-errors-cost-major-richard-star-act-15831471.html" }, { "claim_text": "Wicker authored the Dickey-Wicker Amendment (1996), which prohibits federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. He has consistently argued that 'taxpayer dollars should not be used for embryonic stem cell research' and that 'non-controversial adult stem cells — not embryonic stem cells — are the ones being used to help treat people today.'", "claim_date": "2010-09-16", "claim_type": "platform", "source_url": "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2010/9/wicker-says-taxpayer-dollars-should-not-be-used-for-embryonic-stem-cell-research" }, { "claim_text": "A 2010 study published in Science found that embryonic stem cell research was producing the most promising results for treating diseases including spinal cord injury, diabetes, and Parkinson's — conditions affecting thousands of Mississippians. The NIH has maintained since 1999 that the Dickey-Wicker Amendment precludes derivation of human embryonic stem cells but not their use as experimental tools, a distinction that Wicker and pro-life advocates have opposed. Wicker's amendment has been attached to every HHS appropriations bill since 1996, restricting a field of medical research that scientists argue could benefit constituents in a state ranked last in health outcomes.", "claim_date": "2010-09-17", "claim_type": "disclosure", "source_url": "https://www.science.org/content/article/stem-cells-court-history-primer" } ], "contradictions": [ { "claim_a_idx": 0, "claim_b_idx": 1, "type": "statement_vs_disclosure", "severity": "high", "narrative": "Wicker publicly took credit for securing $28.6 billion in restaurant relief from the American Rescue Plan — tweeting about the 'targeted relief' and how it would 'ensure small businesses can survive' — after voting against the $1.9 trillion bill. Every Republican senator voted against it. When confronted by a reporter about the contradiction, Wicker called it 'a stupid question.' Speaker Pelosi labeled the move 'vote no and take the dough.' This is among the most documented 'vote no and take the dough' cases in recent congressional history." }, { "claim_a_idx": 2, "claim_b_idx": 3, "type": "platform_vs_vote", "severity": "high", "narrative": "Wicker co-sponsored and voted for Balanced Budget Amendments in 2011 and 2013, signed the Contract with America supporting a balanced budget, and voted for the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act — all premised on prohibiting deficit spending. He then voted for the OBBB, which the CBO projected would add $3-4 trillion to the deficit. Voting for a constitutional balanced budget requirement while simultaneously supporting deficit-financed tax cuts is a foundational fiscal contradiction." }, { "claim_a_idx": 4, "claim_b_idx": 5, "type": "platform_vs_vote", "severity": "high", "narrative": "Wicker's official identity is built around being a champion of the military and veterans — chairing Armed Services, securing $528.7M for Mississippi bases, and authoring the FY2026 NDAA. Yet he became the only senator to block the Major Richard Star Act, which would have restored retirement pay for 54,000 combat-injured veterans, calling it 'too expensive.' He then allegedly blocked veteran advocates from his Facebook page. The contradiction between his pro-military rhetoric and blocking a bill for wounded veterans — while simultaneously presiding over a Pentagon budget where accounting errors exceed the bill's cost — drew national coverage and protest petitions." }, { "claim_a_idx": 6, "claim_b_idx": 7, "type": "platform_vs_vote", "severity": "medium", "narrative": "Wicker has championed the Dickey-Wicker Amendment for nearly three decades, restricting federal funding for embryonic stem cell research on moral grounds. Mississippi consistently ranks last or near-last in health outcomes nationally — with the highest rates of diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease — conditions that embryonic stem cell researchers argue could be treated through therapies blocked by the amendment. Wicker's position protects his pro-life brand at the expense of potential medical research that could benefit his own poorest-in-the-nation constituents." } ] },

"telling_votes": [ { "bill_id": "H.R. 1", "title": "One Big Beautiful Bill Act — On Passage (Senate)", "vote": "yea", "vote_date": "2025-07-01", "roll_call_url": "https://www.wtva.com/news/mississippi-alabama-senators-voted-in-favor-of-big-beautiful-bill/article_8c92c0a2-35d9-11f0-80e4-3bb2e7420e08.html", "why_it_matters": "Wicker voted Yea on the OBBB, which the CBO projected would add $3-4 trillion to the deficit and cut approximately $930 billion from Medicaid. Mississippi is the nation's poorest state (14.3% poverty rate, median household income $56,447), with 36.4% Black population and heavy reliance on Medicaid — 40% of the state is low-income, 27.6% of children face hunger. The SPLC projected Mississippi would 'suffer a significant budget deficit' from the bill's cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and other programs. Wicker had previously co-sponsored Balanced Budget Amendments in 2011 and 2013 and signed the Contract with America supporting a balanced budget. He did not publicly reconcile his decades-long fiscal conservatism with his vote for deficit-expanding legislation. The AFL-CIO scored his vote against working people. As Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Wicker's vote helped deliver the defense spending increases in the bill — $528.7 million for Mississippi military installations was included in the subsequent NDAA. His top donors — Securities & Investment ($1.44M career), Lockheed Martin ($70,625 in 2024 cycle), and AIPAC ($339,103 in 2024 cycle) — strongly supported the bill's tax and defense provisions.", "category": "against_constituent" }, { "bill_id": "S. 5", "title": "Laken Riley Act — On Passage (Senate)", "vote": "yea", "vote_date": "2025-01-20", "roll_call_url": "https://justfacts.votesmart.org/bill/38840/laken-riley-act", "why_it_matters": "Wicker voted Yea (64-35) and was a cosponsor of the Laken Riley Act, which mandates DHS detention of undocumented immigrants charged with theft-related crimes. He stated: 'As our first act in the new year, senators voted to move forward on the Laken Riley Act. The key provision of the bill would require DHS to detain illegal immigrants who have been charged with theft.' Mississippi has only 2.43% foreign-born population — among the lowest in the nation — meaning immigration enforcement has almost no direct impact on his constituents. The vote aligned with his AIPAC donor support ($339,103 top contributor for 2024 cycle) and his border-security messaging. Twelve Senate Democrats joined Republicans to pass the bill.", "category": "donor_aligned" }, { "bill_id": "H.R. 815 / S. 2296", "title": "$95 Billion Foreign Aid Package — Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan (February 2024) and FY2026 NDAA (September 2025)", "vote": "yea", "vote_date": "2024-02-13", "roll_call_url": "https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/22-senate-republicans-defied-trump-voted-aid-ukraine-107189070", "why_it_matters": "Wicker was the main GOP advocate for Ukraine aid in the Senate — The Hill called him 'the main GOP advocate for Ukraine in the Senate.' He was one of 22 Senate Republicans who broke with Trump and the MAGA wing to approve $95 billion in aid. He stated: 'My primary obligation as a U.S. senator is protecting America.' After the vote, he urged President Biden to 'aggressively accelerate aid to Ukraine in his final months in office.' His defense-industry donors (Lockheed Martin: $70,625 in 2024 cycle alone) have direct stakes in the military assistance. The vote positioned Wicker as the Senate's leading national-security establishment Republican, distinct from MAGA isolationists. He won his primary with 60% — 'a little too close for comfort,' per The Hill — suggesting his Ukraine support had electoral costs. As Chairman of Armed Services, he authored the FY2026 NDAA (S. 2296), which passed the Senate and included $528.7 million for Mississippi military installations.", "category": "party_defection" }, { "bill_id": "S. 1032", "title": "Major Richard Star Act — Objection to Unanimous Consent (Blocking the Bill)", "vote": "nay", "vote_date": "2025-10-08", "roll_call_url": "https://www.stripes.com/branches/army/2025-10-30/pentagon-loses-accounting-errors-cost-major-richard-star-act-15831471.html", "why_it_matters": "Wicker became the only senator out of 100 to block a unanimous consent vote on the Major Richard Star Act — bipartisan legislation with 76 co-sponsors that would have restored retirement pay for 54,000 combat-injured veterans. He objected, calling it 'too expensive' and 'double dipping,' though the Pentagon loses more to accounting errors annually than the bill would cost over 10 years. As Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, his single objection was sufficient to kill the bill for the session. Mississippi is home to over 167,000 veterans — Wicker blocked retirement pay restoration for combat-injured veterans in his own state while simultaneously championing billions in defense contractor spending. Dozens of veteran advocates reported being blocked from his Facebook page after posting about the bill.", "category": "against_constituent" }, { "bill_id": "H.R. 7147", "title": "Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026 — Cloture Vote (March 2026)", "vote": "yea", "vote_date": "2026-03-26", "roll_call_url": "https://data.staugustine.com/roll-call/senator/roger-wicker/", "why_it_matters": "Wicker voted to advance DHS funding as part of the Senate GOP effort to fund the department. The Senate ultimately passed a DHS funding bill that funded most agencies while zeroing out ICE and Border Patrol funding — a compromise Wicker supported. As Chairman of Armed Services, his DHS votes carry institutional weight beyond his state's direct interests. Mississippi hosts Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport and Keesler Air Force Base, giving DHS-adjacent funding a local national-security nexus. The vote aligned with his border-security conservatism and his Laken Riley Act cosponsorship.", "category": "cross_pressure" }, { "bill_id": "H.R. 5371", "title": "Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 — Ending the 43-Day Government Shutdown", "vote": "yea_unverified", "vote_date": "2025-11-12", "roll_call_url": "https://www.quiverquant.com/news/Press+Release:+Senator+Roger+Wicker+Addresses+Government+Shutdown+with+FAQ+for+Constituents", "why_it_matters": "Wicker voted to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. His office issued a FAQ to constituents addressing the shutdown's impact. Mississippi's 14.3% poverty rate and significant SNAP-dependent population meant the shutdown's effects on food assistance and federal workers were locally salient. Wicker's pragmatic governing posture distinguished him from harder-line conservatives, consistent with his institutional role as an appropriator and committee chairman.", "category": "constituent_aligned" }, { "bill_id": "H.J.Res. 2 / S.J.Res.", "title": "Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution — On Passage (2011, 2013)", "vote": "yea_unverified", "vote_date": "2011-12-14", "roll_call_url": "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2011/12/wicker-votes-for-balanced-budget-amendment", "why_it_matters": "Wicker voted for Balanced Budget Amendments in 2011 and 2013, stating the federal government 'continues to borrow roughly 40 cents of every dollar it spends.' He also voted for the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act and signed the Contract with America supporting a balanced budget. These votes — all premised on constitutionally prohibiting deficit spending — stand in direct contradiction to his 2025 Yea vote on the OBBB, which the CBO projected would add $3-4 trillion to the deficit. Wicker's fiscal conservatism, built over decades, was subordinated to the reconciliation tax package in 2025.", "category": "reversal" }, { "bill_id": "S.Con.Res.7", "title": "Senate 2025 Budget Resolution — Laying the Groundwork for OBBB Reconciliation", "vote": "yea", "vote_date": "2025-02-21", "roll_call_url": "https://aflcio.org/scorecard/legislators/roger-wicker", "why_it_matters": "Wicker voted for the budget resolution that initiated the reconciliation process for the OBBB. The AFL-CIO scored this vote against working people, warning it would 'cut trillions in taxes for the wealthy and large corporations with little benefit to working families.' Mississippi's working families — in the poorest state in the nation — were particularly vulnerable to the resolution's projected Medicaid and SNAP cuts. Wicker's vote was party-line, but his status as a senior senator and committee chairman gave it institutional weight.", "category": "cross_pressure" } ],

"constituency_baseline": { "baseline": { "district_summary": "Mississippi is the 35th-most populous state with approximately 2.95 million residents. It is the poorest state in the nation with a median household income of $56,447 — 70% of the national median — and a poverty rate of 14.3% (ACS) to 18.9% (Data USA broader measure). The population is 55.8% White (Non-Hispanic) and 36.4% Black or African American — the highest percentage of any state — with only 2.43% foreign-born residents. 98.6% of residents are U.S. citizens. Only 25.2% hold bachelor's degrees, well below the 33.7% national average. Median home values are $169,800 with a 70% homeownership rate. The economy is anchored by agriculture (poultry, soybeans, cotton, catfish farming), manufacturing (Nissan, Toyota, Ingalls Shipbuilding), military installations (Keesler AFB, NAS Meridian, NCBC Gulfport), and healthcare. Mississippi consistently ranks last or near-last in health outcomes nationally. 40% of the state is low-income, 27.6% of children face hunger, and the SPLC projects Mississippi would 'suffer a significant budget deficit' from federal cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. Wicker has represented Mississippi in Congress since 1995 (first in the House, then appointed to the Senate in 2007 to replace Trent Lott), making him one of the longest-serving members of the Mississippi delegation. He is the senior Senator and Chairman of the Armed Services Committee. He won reelection in 2024 with 70% of the vote in a safe Republican seat (Cook PVI R+22).", "top_employers": [ { "name": "Walmart (statewide — 25,900 employees)", "employees": 25900, "source_url": "https://www.currentrealestatenews.com/mississippi-industries-top-employers/" }, { "name": "State of Mississippi (23,700 employees)", "employees": 23700, "source_url": "https://www.currentrealestatenews.com/mississippi-industries-top-employers/" }, { "name": "University of Mississippi Medical Center (Jackson — healthcare, ~10,000 employees)", "employees": 10000, "source_url": "https://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/news/2024/09/10/forbes-names-mississippis-best-employers-in-2024-check-out-entire-list/75156919007/" }, { "name": "Ingalls Shipbuilding (Pascagoula — Huntington Ingalls, ~11,000 employees)", "employees": 11000, "source_url": "https://www.cience.com/manufacturing-and-industrial-companies-in-mississippi" }, { "name": "Nissan North America (Canton — manufacturing, ~5,000 employees)", "employees": 5000, "source_url": "https://www.cience.com/manufacturing-and-industrial-companies-in-mississippi" } ], "dominant_industries": [ { "naics": "62 - Health Care and Social Assistance", "share": 0.16, "source_url": "https://datausa.io/profile/geo/mississippi" }, { "naics": "31-33 - Manufacturing (automotive, shipbuilding, defense)", "share": 0.14, "source_url": "https://datausa.io/profile/geo/mississippi" }, { "naics": "44-45 - Retail Trade", "share": 0.12, "source_url": "https://datausa.io/profile/geo/mississippi" }, { "naics": "11 - Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (poultry, soybeans, cotton, catfish)", "share": 0.07, "source_url": "https://datausa.io/profile/geo/mississippi" } ], "recent_ballot_measures": [ { "name": "Mississippi Initiative 65 — Medical Marijuana (2020, overturned by state Supreme Court in 2021)", "year": 2020, "result": "passed (74%)", "margin": "74% to 26% (overturned on procedural grounds)", "source_url": "https://www.sos.ms.gov" }, { "name": "Mississippi — Voter ID Amendment (2011, implemented)", "year": 2011, "result": "passed", "margin": "approved by voters", "source_url": "https://www.sos.ms.gov" } ], "demographic_anchors": [ { "label": "Median household income", "value": "$56,447 (2024) — lowest in the nation", "source_url": "https://datausa.io/profile/geo/mississippi" }, { "label": "Poverty rate", "value": "14.3% (ACS) to 18.9% (Data USA 2024) — highest in the nation", "source_url": "https://legisletter.org/legislator/roger-wicker-W000437/state" }, { "label": "Homeownership rate", "value": "70.0%", "source_url": "https://datausa.io/profile/geo/mississippi" }, { "label": "Bachelor's degree or higher", "value": "25.2% — below national average of 33.7%", "source_url": "https://legisletter.org/legislator/roger-wicker-W000437/state" }, { "label": "Median property value", "value": "$169,800", "source_url": "https://datausa.io/profile/geo/mississippi" }, { "label": "Median rent", "value": "$954", "source_url": "https://legisletter.org/legislator/roger-wicker-W000437/state" }, { "label": "Population", "value": "2,946,779 (2024)", "source_url": "https://datausa.io/profile/geo/mississippi" }, { "label": "White (Non-Hispanic) population share", "value": "55.8% (1.63M)", "source_url": "https://datausa.io/profile/geo/mississippi" }, { "label": "Black or African American population share", "value": "36.4% (1.07M) — highest percentage of any state", "source_url": "https://datausa.io/profile/geo/mississippi" }, { "label": "U.S. citizenship rate", "value": "98.6%", "source_url": "https://datausa.io/profile/geo/mississippi" }, { "label": "Foreign-born population", "value": "2.43% (71,500) — among the lowest in the nation", "source_url": "https://datausa.io/profile/geo/mississippi" }, { "label": "Low-income population share", "value": "40% — highest in the nation", "source_url": "https://www.splcenter.org/news/2025/05/19/impact-federal-cuts-social-safety-net-mississippi" }, { "label": "Child hunger rate", "value": "27.6%", "source_url": "https://www.splcenter.org/news/2025/05/19/impact-federal-cuts-social-safety-net-mississippi" }, { "label": "Unemployment rate", "value": "5.8%", "source_url": "https://legisletter.org/legislator/roger-wicker-W000437/state" }, { "label": "Median age", "value": "38.6", "source_url": "https://datausa.io/profile/geo/mississippi" }, { "label": "Average commute time", "value": "25.6 minutes", "source_url": "https://legisletter.org/legislator/roger-wicker-W000437/state" }, { "label": "Drives alone to work", "value": "81.8%", "source_url": "https://legisletter.org/legislator/roger-wicker-W000437/state" }, { "label": "Veteran population", "value": "~167,000 — significant constituency", "source_url": "https://datausa.io/profile/geo/mississippi" } ] } } }