Billy Hewes

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Billy Hewes
Photo of William Gardner Hewes.jpg
Mayor of Gulfport, Mississippi
Assumed office
July 2013
Preceded byGeorge Scholegel
President pro tempore of the
Mississippi State Senate
In office
January 2008 – January 3, 2012
Preceded by
Succeeded byTerry W. Brown
Member of the Mississippi State Senate
from the 49th district
In office
January 1992 – January 3, 2012
Succeeded bySean Tindell
Personal details
Born
William Gardner Hewes III

(1961-10-27) October 27, 1961 (age 59)
New Iberia, Louisiana, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Paula Hewes
Children4
ResidenceGulfport, Mississippi
EducationHarrison Central High School
Alma materUniversity of Southern Mississippi (BS)
OccupationState legislator; Insurance agent; Real estate broker

William Gardner Hewes III (born October 27, 1961) is a Republican politician. He is the mayor of Gulfport, Mississippi and the former President pro tempore of the Mississippi State Senate.

Early life and education[]

Hewes was born in New Iberia, Louisiana on October 27, 1961, and later moved to Gulfport, Mississippi, where he attended Harrison Central High School.[1][2] He later graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.[3][4]

Political career[]

Mississippi State Senate[]

Hewes represented Senate District 49, which contained Harrison County, Mississippi. He served from his election in 1992 until 2012, serving as President Pro Tempore from 2008 until 2012.[2][5]

Hewes was also the founding chairman of the Mississippi National Guard Legislative Caucus while in the Senate.[6]

2011 Lieutenant Governor race[]

Hewes was an unsuccessful candidate for the office of Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi in 2011. After losing the Republican primary election to Tate Reeves by a 14 point margin,[7][8] Hewes endorsed him in the general election.[9]

Mayor of Gulfport[]

Billy Hewes, a Republican, serves as the Mayor of Gulfport, Mississippi, the state's second largest city, having won office in the 2013 City of Gulfport General Election, in which he ran unopposed.[10]

Controversial positions[]

Hewes has been the subject of criticism for public positions on certain issues, including LGBT rights. In 2003, while serving as a member of the Mississippi State Senate, Hewes received backlash for his statements denouncing the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning a Texas law prohibiting certain homosexual acts, stating:

To my knowledge Gulfport has always been a straight town and it needs to stay that way... These things violate the laws of God.

Hewes also stated that homosexuals degrade themselves "when they do some of the things they do."[11] The LGBT civil rights organization Equality Mississippi called for gay Mississippi residents to attend the city council meeting to protest the resolution Hewes had introduced in response to the court decision.[12]

Political membership[]

Among other roles, he has served as National Chairman of the American Legislative Exchange Council and as chairman of the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission.[13] As mayor, since 2019, Hewes as served as Chairman of the Mississippi Municipal League,[2][14] and since 2018, he has served on the U.S. Department of Commerce First Responder Network Authority Board.[4][15] He is also a member of the Advisory board for the U.S. Department of Interior National Park System.[16]

A graduate of Leadership Mississippi and Leadership Gulf Coast, Hewes is a member of the Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce, and is a past president of the Gulfport Jaycees.[2]

Family history and personal life[]

Hewes is a direct descendant to the first Mayor of Gulfport.[3] In addition, Billy's grandfather served as a Chancery judge, and his father served on the Gulfport City Council.[3] He is married to Paula Hewes (née Morton) and has four children.[1][17] His mother-in-law Ruby Morton, who was blind, was a Goodwill Ambassador for South Mississippi.[17]

Hewes is a songwriter and musician, having served on the Mississippi Blues Commission.[1][18] Hewes has had songs featured in two movie soundtracks (Stay with Me - Precious Cargo[citation needed]; Mississippi Christmas - Christmas in MS[19]) and his band Cut Bait performs at festivals and fundraising events.[2]

Awards[]

Hewes was named Legislator of the Year by the Mississippi Association of Realtors.[20]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Billy Hewes". Mississippi State Senate. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "About Billy Hewes | Billy Hewes". billyhewes.com. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c Boudreaux, Jenny (October 21, 2013). "Southern Miss Alumni Association to Induct Seven into Hall of Fame | The University of Southern Mississippi". www.usm.edu. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Mayor Billy Hewes | First Responder Network Authority". www.firstnet.gov. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  5. ^ "Billy Hewes". Ballotpedia. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  6. ^ "Senate President Pro Tempore Billy Hewes appointed Chairman of Mississippi National Guard Caucus". Y'all Politics. January 30, 2009. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  7. ^ "2 Former Lawmakers Running Again as Mayors in Mississippi". U.S. News & World Report. AP. 2021-01-24. Archived from the original on 2021-06-09. Retrieved June 9, 2021. ...unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor in 2011
  8. ^ Harrison, Bobby (August 3, 2011). "Reeves defeats Hewes in Lt. governor race". Daily Journal. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  9. ^ Pender, Geoff (26 February 2015). "Hewes endorses Reeves for Lt. Gov". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  10. ^ "Billy Hewes running unopposed for mayor of Gulfport". gulflive.com. Associated Press. March 18, 2013. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  11. ^ Robinson, Bruce A. (2003-06-26). "Reactions to the Lawrence v. Texas ruling by groups and individuals". ReligiousTolerance.org. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
  12. ^ "Homophobic Gulfport City Councilman introduces anti-gay resolution with inaccurate facts; Gay Mississippians to Protest at Gulfport City Hall" (PDF). Equality Mississippi (Press release). 2003-07-21. Archived from the original on 2007-07-30. Retrieved 2021-06-10.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  13. ^ "Billy Hewes". ACCE. American Legislative Exchange Council. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  14. ^ "Mississippi Municipal League :: Home". Mississippi Municipal League. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  15. ^ Keeton, Hugh (November 16, 2018). "Gulfport Mayor part of national effort to improve first responders communication". WLOX. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  16. ^ "Advisory Board Members (U.S. National Park Service)". National Park Service. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  17. ^ Jump up to: a b Smith, Tammy (December 15, 2017). "Losing her sight didn't stop this Gulfport woman from being 'a symbol of hope and courage'". Sun Herald. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  18. ^ Grace, Caray (December 6, 2017). "Gulfport mayor's song to be featured in movie debut". WLOX. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  19. ^ Nolan, Heather (December 8, 2017). "Gulf Coast is backdrop for Lifetime movie 'Christmas In Mississippi'". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  20. ^ "Record turnout for Realtor Day at the Capitol" (PDF). Real Estate Leader. No. Spring 2009. Mississippi Association of Realtors. p. 9. Retrieved February 15, 2021.

External links[]

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