Mississippi and Virginia Make History

Floor Speech

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, history was made last week in off-year elections with Republicans gaining a majority in the Mississippi House for the first time in years and Republicans gaining a majority in the Virginia Senate, along with the State House and the Governorship for the first time in 130 years.

With these gains, Republicans are now state legislative majorities in both houses in all states from Texas to Florida to Virginia and all states in between except narrowly in Arkansas.

I am grateful my home state of South Carolina is symbolic of change. Fifty years ago this August, Charlie Boineau of Richland was elected the first Republican legislator of the Twentieth Century and the next year, State Rep. Floyd Spence was the first party switch ever leading in 1994 to David Wilkins elected the first Republican Speaker in the South. In 2010 all nine Republican statewide candidates were elected with the Governor being the first female in 341 years and only the second Indian American in national history. Seven out of eight federal officials are now Republicans.

Encouraging the extraordinary change are transplants from the Northeast and Midwest who have relocated for a milder climate and lower taxes.

In conclusion, God Bless our Troops and we will never forget September 11th in the Global War on Terrorism.

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