Mississippi's forty-ninth state senate district is represented by Republican Senator Joel Carter.

Mississippi state senators represent an average of 57,063 residents. After the 2000 Census, each member represented 54,705 residents.

About the office

Members of the Mississippi State Senate serve four-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Mississippi legislators assume office the first day of the regular session of the year following election. The Constitution requires the Legislature to convene yearly on the Tuesday after the first Monday in January.

Qualifications

In order to run for the Mississippi State Senate, a candidate must:

• Be 25 years of age or older.
• Be a qualified elector and resident of the State of Mississippi for four years.
• Be a resident of the county or district a candidate plans to represent for two years.
• If running as a Republican or Democrat, pay a $15 filing fee to the State Executive Committee of the party with which the candidate is affiliated.
• If running as an independent, submit 50 signatures to the Circuit Clerk or the Secretary of State.

Salaries

Vacancies

If there is a vacancy in the senate, a special election is required to fill the vacant seat. The Governor must call for an election no later than 30 days after the vacancy happened. After the governor sets the election date, the counties conducting the election must be given at least 40 days notice before the election. All qualifying deadlines are 30 days before the election.

No special election is held if the vacancy happens after June 1st in an election year.

Elections

2019

Elections for the Mississippi State Senate took place in 2019. The primary was on August 6, 2019, the primary runoff was on August 27, and the general election was on November 5. The filing deadline for candidates was March 1, 2019.

No Democratic candidates ran in the primary.

2017

A special election for the position of Mississippi State Senate District 49 was called for December 19, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was October 30, 2017.

The seat became vacant on October 16, 2017, after Sean Tindell (R) resigned from the state Senate. Gov. Phil Bryant (R) appointed Tindell to the state Court of Appeals.

Dan Carr, Joel Carter, and Ron Meyers ran in the special election. Carter won the special election with 53 percent of the vote. A runoff election was not needed. Candidates in Mississippi special elections run without party labels.

Mississippi State Senate, District 49, Special Election, 2017

2015

Elections for the Mississippi State Senate took place in 2015. A primary election was held on August 4, 2015, and the general election was held on November 3, 2015. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 27, 2015. No Democratic candidates filed for election. Incumbent Sean Tindell defeated Katherine DeCoito in the Republican primary. Tindell ran unchallenged in the District 49 general election.

Mississippi State Senate, District 49 Republican Primary, 2015

2011

Elections for the office of Mississippi State Senate consisted of a primary election on August 2, 2011 and a general election on November 8, 2011. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 1, 2011. Sean Tindell (R) defeated independent candidate Jason Vitosky in the general election and was unopposed in the Republican primary.

Mississippi State Senate, District 49 General Election, 2011

Campaign contributions

From 2003 to 2011, candidates for Mississippi State Senate District 49 raised a total of $352,855. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $88,214 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.

Campaign contributions, Mississippi State Senate District 49