View source for Secretary of State of Mississippi

{{Infobox official post
| post            = Mississippi Secretary
| body            = State
| insignia        = File:Seal of the Secretary of State of Mississippi.jpg 
| insigniasize    = 120
| insigniacaption = Seal of the secretary of state
| image           = Michael Watson.png
| imagesize       = 
| caption         = 
| incumbent       = [[Michael Watson (Mississippi politician)|Michael Watson]]
| incumbentsince  = January 14, 2020
| seat            = [[Jackson, Mississippi]]
| termlength      = Four years, unlimited renewal
| precursor       = Secretary of the Mississippi Territory
| first           = [[Daniel Williams (Mississippi politician)|Daniel Williams]]
| formation       = {{start date and age|1817|12|11|p=1|br=1}}
| salary          = $90,000
| website         = {{url|sos.ms.gov}}
}}

The '''Mississippi secretary of state''' is an officer of [[Mississippi]] originally established under the Article IV, §14 of Mississippi Constitution of 1817, and was reestablished under Article V, §133 of the [[Mississippi Constitution|Mississippi Constitution of 1890]].

Several African Americans served in the office during the [[Reconstruction era]]. The current secretary of state is [[Michael Watson (Mississippi politician)|Michael Watson]].

== History ==
The Office of Secretary of State of Mississippi was initially created by the state's original 1817 constitution,{{sfn|Winkle|2014|p=95}} which stipulated in Article IV, Section 14, "A Secretary of State shall be appointed, who shall continue in office during the term of two years. He shall keep a fair register of all the official acts and proceedings of the Governor, and shall, when required, lay the same, and all papers, minutes, and vouchers relative thereto, before the General Assembly, and shall perform such other duties as may be required by law."<ref name= sechist>{{cite web| url = https://www.sos.ms.gov/about-us/history| title = History of the MS Secretary of State | publisher = Mississippi Secretary of State| access-date = October 8, 2022}}</ref> From its inception, the office was also responsible for receiving election results.{{sfn|Winkle|2014|p=87}} The Mississippi Legislature initially elected the holders of the office,{{sfn|Busbee|2014|pp=73–74}} with the first secretary of state, [[Daniel Williams (Mississippi politician)|Daniel Williams]], being chosen on December 11, 1817.{{sfn|Rowland|1904|p=124}} The 1832 constitution stipulated that the secretary was to be popularly elected to serve a two-year term.{{sfn|Busbee|2014|p=87}} The 1869 constitution extended the term to four years.{{sfn|Rowland|1904|p=31}} During the [[Reconstruction era]] from 1869 to 1878, the office was continuously held by black men.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://mshistorynow.mdah.ms.gov/issue/first-black-legislators-mississippi| title = The First Black Legislators in Mississippi| last = Baldwin| first = DeeDee| date = July 2022| website = Mississippi History Now| publisher = Mississippi Department of Archives and History| access-date = March 13, 2023}}</ref>

The [[Constitution of Mississippi|state's 1890 constitution]] modified the position in Article V, Section 133, stipulating, "There shall be a Secretary of State, who shall be elected as herein provided. He shall be at least twenty-five years of age, a citizen of the state five years preceding the day of his election, and he shall continue in office during the term of four years, and shall be keeper of the capitol; he shall keep a correct register of all official acts and proceedings of the Governor; and shall, when required, lay the same, and all papers, minutes, and vouchers relative thereto, before the Legislature, and he shall perform such other duties as may be required of him by law. He shall receive such compensation as shall be prescribed."<ref name= sechist/> The document also made the officer an ''ex officio'' member of the [[Mississippi Board of Education|State Board of Education]]. In 1982 the constitution was amended, removing the secretary from the board effective July 1, 1984.{{sfn|Winkle|2014|pp=126–127}} In 1978 the legislature voted abolish the office of state land commissioner—which supervised public lands—and assign its responsibilities to the secretary of state effective January 1980.<ref>{{cite news| last = Klein| first = Jo Ann| title = Demise of land post ends an era| newspaper = The Clarion Ledger| pages = 1B–[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120755604/clarion-ledger/ 2B]| date = December 10, 1979| url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120755561/clarion-ledger/}}</ref> The secretary has been responsible for the publishing of the ''Mississippi Official and Statistical Register'' since 1931.<ref>{{cite news| last = Strachan| first = Ken| title = State Blue Books will be available in April| newspaper = The Conservative| page = 19| date = March 23, 2017| url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121035390/the-conservative/}}</ref>

==Duties and responsibilities==
[[File:Jackson December 2018 09 (Secretary of State of Mississippi).jpg|thumb|Ladner Building, Jackson]]
The secretary of state is elected to serve a four-year term without term limits.{{sfn|Mississippi Official and Statistical Register|2017|p=82}} The constitution designates the secretary as the "Keeper of the Capitol"{{sfn|Winkle|2014|p=95}}<ref name= about>{{cite web| url = https://www.sos.ms.gov/about-us| title = About us| publisher = Mississippi Secretary of State|access-date = October 8, 2022 }}</ref> and stipulates that they receive and maintain all election results.{{sfn|Winkle|2014|p=87}} It also requires all state commissions to be "attested" by the secretary.{{sfn|Winkle|2014|p=93}} Most of the specific duties of the office are determined by the State Legislature,{{sfn|Winkle|2014|p=95}} including enforcing regulations for certain businesses, managing public lands, and publishing state documents.<ref name= clark>{{cite web| url = https://mshistorynow.mdah.ms.gov/issue/government-of-mississippi-how-it-functions| title = The Government of Mississippi: How it Functions| last = Clark| first = Eric| date = December 2007| website = Mississippi History Now| publisher = Mississippi Department of Archives and History| access-date = March 17, 2023}}</ref>

The Office of the Secretary of State is composed of eight divisions:<ref name= about/>

*The Business Services & Regulation Division is responsible for chartering [[corporation]]s and other business entities, registering [[lien]]s under the [[Uniform Commercial Code]], issuing [[apostille]]s, and regulating [[Notary public|notaries public]].  This division also publishes the Mississippi Administrative Bulletin, which is the official [[gazette]] for all [[regulation]]s made by state agencies.
*The Public Lands Division administers all public lands, including land forfeited in tax [[foreclosure]]s, lands reserved for school use, [[tidelands]] held under the [[public trust doctrine]], and lands held by state agencies.
*The Elections Division administers elections, and monitors [[campaign finance]] and [[lobbying]] activities.
*The Charities Division regulates [[Charitable organization|charities]] and investigates charity fraud.
*The External Affairs Division oversees the office's relations with the state legislature and businesses in the state.
*The Policy and Research Division is responsible for reviewing and suggesting revisions to laws and policies administered by the secretary of state. 
* The Publications Division oversees the office's educational outreach programs, manages its public relations, and issues state documents, such as the ''Official and Statistical Register''.
* The Securities Division enforces the state's Uniform Securities Laws and investigates [[Security (finance)|securities]] fraud.

The secretary's salary is $90,000 per year, but is set to increase to $120,000 annually in 2024.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://mississippitoday.org/2022/04/27/reeves-lets-pay-raises-for-elected-officials-pass/| title = Amid vetoes, Gov. Reeves lets pay raises for elected officials pass| last = Pender| first = Geoff| date = April 7, 2022| website = Mississippi Today| publisher = Nonprofit Mississippi News| access-date = October 10, 2022}}</ref> They maintain an office on the first floor of the [[Mississippi State Capitol]].{{sfn|Mississippi Official and Statistical Register|2017|p=742}} Additional offices are maintained at the Capital Towers and Ladner Building in [[Jackson, Mississippi|Jackson]],<ref>{{cite news| last = Perlis| first = Wicker| title = Find out where Mississippi lawmakers, capitol staff, reporters eat while in Jackson| newspaper = The Clarion-Ledger| date = February 23, 2023| url = https://www.clarionledger.com/story/life/food/2023/02/23/these-are-the-five-most-popular-restaurants-for-legislators-and-staff/69903229007/| access-date = March 13, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.sos.ms.gov/links/elections/elections_officials_center/tab2/2010%20Redistricting%20Prep%20Training/Direction%20to%20ladner_pers%20park.pdf| title = Directions to MS Secretary of State's Office, Ladner Building and PERS Parking Garage | publisher = Mississippi Secretary of State| access-date = March 13, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| last = Chandler| first = Clay| title = Capitol Towers lands offices| newspaper = The Clarion-Ledger| pages = 10A–11A| date = January 17, 2014| url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120788358/clarion-ledger/}}</ref> and in [[Biloxi, Mississippi|Biloxi]], [[Southaven, Mississippi|Southaven]], and [[Tupelo, Mississippi|Tupelo]].<ref name= about/>

==Secretaries of state==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|+{{sronly|Secretary of State}}
!scope="col" data-sort-type="number" | {{abbr|No.|Number}}
!scope="col" colspan="2" | '''Secretary of State'''
!scope="col" | Term in office
!scope="col" | Party
!scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Refh}}
|-
|1
|
! scope="row" |[[Daniel Williams (Mississippi politician)|Daniel Williams]]
|1817–1821
|
|<ref name= sechist/>
|-
|2
|
! scope="row" |[[John A. Grimball]]
|1821–1833
|
|<ref name= sechist/>
|-
|3
|
! scope="row" |[[David Dickson (politician)|D. C. Dickson]]
|1833–1835
|
|<ref name= sechist/>
|-
|4
|
! scope="row" |[[Barry W. Benson]]
|1835–1839
|
|<ref name= sechist/>
|-
|5
|
! scope="row" |[[Thomas B. Woodward]]
|1839–1841
|
|<ref name= sechist/>
|-
|6
|
! scope="row" |[[L. G. Galloway]]
|1841–1843
|
|<ref name= sechist/>
|-
|7
|
! scope="row" |[[Wilson Hemingway]]
|1843–1847
|
|<ref name= sechist/>
|-
|8
|
! scope="row" |[[Samuel Stamps]]
|1847–1850
|
|<ref name= sechist/>
|-
|9
|
! scope="row" |[[Joseph Bell (Mississippi politician)|Joseph Bell]]
|1850–1852
|
|<ref name= sechist/>
|-
|10
|
! scope="row" |[[James A. Horne]]
|1852–1854
|
|<ref name= sechist/>
|-
|11
|
! scope="row" |[[William H. Muse]]
|1854–1855
|
|<ref name= sechist/>
|-
|12
|
! scope="row" |[[A. B. Dilworth]]
|1855–1860
|
|<ref name= sechist/>
|-
|13
|
! scope="row" |[[B. R. Webb]]
|1860
|
|<ref name= sechist/>
|-
|14
|
! scope="row" |[[C. A. Brougher|Charles A. Brougher]]
|1860–1865
|
|<ref name= sechist/>
|- 
|15
|[[File:Alexander Warner.jpg|75px]]
! scope="row" |[[Alexander Warner]]
|1865–1869
|{{Party shading/Republican}} | [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|<ref name= sechist/>
|-
|16
|
! scope="row" |[[Henry Musgrove (Mississippi politician)|Henry Musgrove]]
|1869
|
|<ref name= sechist/>
|- 
|17
|[[File:James D. Lynch.jpg|75px]]
! scope="row" |[[James D. Lynch]]
|1869–1872
|{{Party shading/Republican}} | [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|<ref name= sechist/>
|-
|18
|[[File:Hiram Rhodes Revels - Brady-Handy-(restored) (cropped).png|75px]]
! scope="row" |[[Hiram Rhodes Revels]]
|1872–1873
|{{Party shading/Republican}} | [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|<ref name= sechist/>
|- 
|19
|[[File:H. C. Carter, Mississippi Secretary of State.jpg|75px]]
! scope="row" |[[H. C. Carter]]
|1873
|{{Party shading/Republican}} | [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|<ref name= sechist/>
|-
|20
|[[File:Murdock M. McLeod.png|75px]]
! scope="row" |[[M. M. McLeod]]
|1873
|{{Party shading/Republican}} | [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|<ref name= sechist/>
|-
|21
|[[File:H. C. Carter, Mississippi Secretary of State.jpg|75px]]
! scope="row" |H. C. Carter
|1873–1874
|{{Party shading/Republican}} | [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|<ref name= sechist/>
|- 
|22
|[[File:James Hill Secretary of State of Mississippi.jpg|75px]]
! scope="row" |[[James Hill (Mississippi politician)|James Hill]]
|1874–1878
|{{Party shading/Republican}} | [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|<ref name= sechist/>
|-
|23
|[[File:Kinloch Falconer.png|75px]]
! scope="row" |[[Kinloch Falconer]]
|1878
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|<ref name= sechist/>
|- 
|24
|[[File:D P Porter.jpg|75px]]
! scope="row" |[[D. P. Porter]]
|1878
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|<ref name= sechist/>
|-
|25
|[[File:Henry C Myers.jpg|75px]]
! scope="row" |[[Henry C. Myers (Mississippi politician)|Henry C. Myers]]
|1878–1886
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|<ref name= sechist/>
|- 
|26
|[[File:George M Govan.jpg|75px]]
! scope="row" |[[George M. Govan]]
|1886–1896
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|<ref name= sechist/>
|- 
|27
|[[File:John Logan Power.jpg|75px]]
! scope="row" |[[John Logan Power]]
|1896–1901
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|<ref name= sechist/>
|- 
|28
|[[File:Jos W Power.JPG|75px]]
! scope="row" |[[Joseph Withers Power]]
|1901–1926
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|<ref name= sechist/>
|- 
|29
|[[File:Walker Wood.JPG|75px]]
! scope="row" |[[Walker Wood]]
|1926–1948
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|<ref name= sechist/>
|- 
|30
|[[File:Heber Ladner.jpg|75px]]
! scope="row" |[[Heber Austin Ladner]]
|1948–1980
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|<ref name= sechist/>
|- 
|31
|[[File:Edwin L. Pittman.jpg|75px]]
! scope="row" |[[Ed Pittman]]
|1980–1984
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|<ref name= sechist/>
|- 
|32
|[[File:Dick Molpus cropped.jpg|75px]]
! scope="row" |[[Dick Molpus]]
|1984–1996
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|<ref name= sechist/>
|- 
|33
|
! scope="row" |[[Eric Clark (politician)|Eric Clark]]
|1996–2008
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|<ref name= sechist/>
|- 
|34
|[[File:Delbert Hosemann.jpg|75px]]
! scope="row" |[[Delbert Hosemann]]
|2008–2020
|{{Party shading/Republican}} | [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|<ref name= sechist/>
|- 
|35
|[[File:Michael Watson.png|75px]]
! scope="row" |[[Michael Watson (Mississippi politician)|Michael Watson]]
|2020–present
|{{Party shading/Republican}} | [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|<ref name= sechist/>
|}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Works cited ==
* {{cite book| last = Busbee| first = Westley F. Jr.| title = Mississippi: A History| publisher = John Wiley & Sons| edition = second| date = 2014| location =  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=sG0gBQAAQBAJ| isbn = 9781118755921}}
* {{cite book| title = Mississippi Official and Statistical Register 2016–2020| publisher = Mississippi Secretary of State | date = 2017| location = Jackson| url = https://www.sos.ms.gov/communications-publications/2016-2020-mississippi-blue-book|oclc=1045214160|ref={{harvid|Mississippi Official and Statistical Register|2017}}}}
* {{cite book|editor-last=Rowland|editor-first=Dunbar| title = The Official and Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi| publisher = Mississippi Department of Archives and History| date = 1904| location = Jackson| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=V1WjAAAAMAAJ|oclc=777030828}}
* {{cite book| last = Winkle| first = John W. III| title = The Mississippi State Constitution| publisher = Oxford University Press| series = | edition = second| date = 2014| location = | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=SCj-AgAAQBAJ| isbn = 9780199300631}}

==External links==
*{{official website}}

{{U.S. State Secretaries of State}}
{{Secretaries of State of MS}}
{{Mississippi statewide elected officials}}
{{Portal bar|Mississippi|Politics}}

[[Category:Secretaries of state of Mississippi| ]]
[[Category:1817 establishments in Mississippi]]