Andy Gipson REPRepublican

James Andrew Gipson (born December 21, 1976) is an American attorney and politician who has served as the Mississippi Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner since 2018. A member of the Republican Party, Gipson was appointed to the position by Governor Phil Bryant, succeeding Cindy Hyde-Smith, who was appointed to serve in the U.S. Senate. He was elected to a full term in 2019 with 59% of the vote and won reelection in 2023 with 58% of the vote. Gipson served in the Mississippi House of Representatives for the 77th district from 2008 to 2018. During his tenure, he was known as one of the most socially conservative representatives, supporting bills against gun control, championing legislation to prohibit discrimination based on beliefs about marriage, and authoring a restrictive abortion ban. Gipson also worked on criminal justice reform, seeking to reduce repeat offenders, abolish debtor prisons, and study sentencing disparities. As Agriculture Commissioner, Gipson has visited all 82 counties in Mississippi, created a branding initiative for Mississippi products, increased agency-county correspondence, and developed a workforce development program. He has come out against medicaid expansion, in vitro fertilization, and medical marijuana while serving in his role. A native of Flowood, Mississippi, he owns a family farm and works as a lawyer. He is an alum of Mississippi College, earning a bachelor's degree and juris doctorate.