About Delbert Hosemann
Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann is serving in his first term as Secretary of State. Elected in November 2007, Secretary Hosemann serves as Mississippi’s seventh Secretary of State since 1900.
A Warren County native, Secretary Hosemann is committed to serving the public with open and fair government. Since his election, he has worked tirelessly on behalf of Mississippi citizens to ensure the integrity of Mississippi’s vote, ethically manage State lands to guarantee the future for our children, and make our State more business-friendly and attractive for economic development.
In 1978, the state land commissioner was merged to the Secretary of State. Now, the agency oversees over 1.2 million acres of state-owned land. This includes over 640,000 acres of 16th Section land, which generates approximately $50 million dollars per year for our school children. After taking office, Secretary Hosemann fulfilled a campaign promise and posted all 16th Section leases on the agency’s website. The posting of these leases has empowered school boards across the State with the knowledge of comparable leases. This enables School boards to make sound decisions when determining lease amounts and maximizes the rate of return for our school children, our State’s most important asset. Secretary Hosemann is also trustee of the Public Trust Tidelands and is committed to preserving these areas for generations to come. In addition, he is working very closely with the Department of Marine Resources and The Nature Conservancy to acquire more State lands, and help to preserve the culture of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
As chief elections officer for the State of Mississippi, Secretary Hosemann has led a crusade against those who would seek to steal your vote. For the first time ever, the Secretary of State’s office visits precincts around the State during elections and issues a Report on Elections to the State Legislature on the findings. Secretary Hosemann works closely with Circuit Clerks and Election Commissioners and has travelled across the State listening and addressing citizens concerns on elections. He takes those concerns to the Legislature in order to find new ways to combat voter fraud and to secure the integrity of the vote. At the request of the Department of Defense, Secretary Hosemann traveled to Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan to encourage the vote of our soldiers. The Secretary of State also promotes voter education programs, such as Promote the Vote for young Mississippians and Vote in Honor of a Veteran.
In many cases, the Secretary of State’s office is also the first point of contact for businesses in Mississippi. As part of his overall Business Reform plan, Secretary Hosemann formed several business reform study groups to revamp how Mississippi does business. Those study groups were composed of Mississippians from around the State, and their recommendations were drafted into meaningful legislation to promote economic development and make our State more business friendly. Legislation was passed and the Governor signed this legislation into law. Now, Mississippi is recognized for having the most proactive securities, trademarks, charities and non-profits legislation in the country. Trademarks legislation passed by the Legislature under the Business Reform plan has even been favorably recognized by the International Trademarks Association, a non-profit organization made up of over 5,000 companies worldwide.
Secretary Hosemann has also reformed pre-need and perpetual care practices across the State. When he came into Office, Secretary Hosemann audited several pre-need providers and found many were deficient in their trust accounts. Realizing the widespread problem, Secretary Hosemann helped draft new legislation that would give his agency more oversight in the sale of pre-need contracts to ensure the citizens of the State of Mississippi’s most sensitive arrangements are protected. Further, at the request of the State Legislature, Secretary Hosemann instituted the first statewide, internet-based copper theft registration in the United States.
Secretary Hosemann has long served the citizens of the Mississippi. He was Chairman of the Board of Mississippi Blood Services and the Treasurer of the Jackson Medical Mall Association and served on the Board of Directors for Jackson State University Development Foundation. He is a Paul Harris Fellow and is a member of the North Jackson Rotary Club. Some of his accolades include the George L. Phillips Community Service Award from the United State Department of Justice in appreciation of his service as Chairman of Project Safe Neighborhoods and for his efforts in the Hurricane Katrina First Responders Assistance Project. Delbert was also awarded the J. Tate Thigpen Award for exemplary leadership, support, and commitment to the American Red Cross.
In his spare time, Secretary Hosemann is an avid hunter and marathoner. He belongs to the National Rifle Association, Delta Wildlife Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, the Mississippi Wildlife Federation and Coastal Conservation Association. He is a member of the Mississippi Track Club and completed both the New York Marathon, the Boston Marathon and represented Mississippi in the Senior Olympics.
Secretary Hosemann comes to the position with a background in Business and Taxation Law. He has his undergraduate degree in Business from Notre Dame, a law degree from Ole Miss, and a Masters of Laws in Taxation from New York University. He is a former partner of Phelps Dunbar, LLP and was selected to the Best Lawyers in America for 18 consecutive years. Secretary Hosemann also served his country in the United States Army Reserves.
Delbert and his wife Lynn have been married for 39 years. They are extremely proud of their three children: Kristen, Chad, and Mark; and granddaughters Grace, Nora Lynn, and Carson.
