Mississippi’s second-largest city is sending a new representative to Jackson.
Tuesday, Jeffrey Hulum III defeated Gary Fredericks in the special election to represent District 119 in the Mississippi House of Representatives after receiving 67 percent of the vote.
Hulum, a native of Gulfport, is a retired U.S. Army sergeant major with six deployments and a Bronze Star. After his time in the military, Hulum founded a nonprofit called “Extend A Hand, Help A Friend” which aims to empower, educate, and enhance the lives of those experiencing homelessness. He was also named Mississippi’s Community Leader of the Year in 2019 by the Mississippi State Medical Association for his response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hulum replaces Sonya Williams-Barnes who resigned from the position in May to take a job with the Southern Poverty Law Center. Williams-Barnes had served in the legislature since 2012.
