Tommy Gollott

Tommy Gollott
1968
President pro tempore of the Mississippi State Senate
In office January 2, 1996 – January 2000
Preceded by	Pud Graham
Succeeded by	Travis Little
Member of the Mississippi State Senate from the 50th district
In office January 1980 – January 2020
Succeeded by	Scott DeLano
Member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
In office January 1968 – January 1980
Personal details
Born	Thomas Arlin Gollott (1935-09-29) September 29, 1935 (age 89) Biloxi, Mississippi, U.S.
Political party	Republican (2007–present) Democratic (1967–2007)
Spouse	Zelma Jackson
Residence(s)	Biloxi, Mississippi, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Southern Mississippi
Occupation	Businessman, transfer & storage company

Thomas Arlin Gollott (born September 29, 1935) is a businessman and former state legislator in Mississippi. A Democrat, he served as a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives and Mississippi Senate before becoming a Republican in 2007. He represented the 50th District from 1980 to 2020.[1] He had served continuously in the Mississippi Legislature from 1968, when he sat as a state representative, which he served until his election as state senator in 1979. He had been a Democrat until 2007, when he switched his affiliation to Republican.[2][3] In September 2017, he became the longest-serving member of the Mississippi Legislature in history.[4] He retired from the Senate in 2020, after deciding not to run for another term.[5]

In 1996, Gollott was elected the president pro tempore of the Mississippi State Senate for the 1996-2000 term.[6] He was the first president pro tempore from the Gulf Coast region since Merle F. Palmer in 1968.[6]

References

1. "Tommy A. Gollott District 50 - Harrison Republican". Mississippi State Senate. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
2. "Gollott switches to GOP". WLOX. 2007-03-02. Retrieved 2013-08-21.
3. Jimmie E. Gates (2013-02-25). "Biloxi Republican Tommy Gollott longest-serving Mississippi legislator in office". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
4. "PEER Member, Senator Tommy Gollott, Reaches Milestone as Longest Serving Legislator". www.peer.ms.gov. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
5. Kessie, Brad; Johnson, Annie (14 February 2019). "Mississippi's longest-serving lawmaker announces retirement". WLOX. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
6. "Leaders elected in 1996 session". Enterprise-Journal. 1996-01-03. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-12-29.

External links

• Project Vote Smart - Senator Tommy Gollott's (MS) profile