26 Facts About Bennie Thompson

Bennie Gordon Thompson was born on January 28,1948 and is an American politician serving as the US representative for since 1993.

Bennie Thompson was both the first Democrat and the first African American to chair the committee.

Since 2011, Bennie Thompson has been the only Democrat in Mississippi's congressional delegation.

Bennie Thompson's district includes most of Jackson and is the only majority-black district in the state.

Bennie Thompson attended Hinds County public schools and graduated from Hinds County Agricultural High School.

Bennie Thompson then attended Tougaloo College, from which he earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1968.

Bennie Thompson earned a Master of Science in educational administration from Jackson State University in 1972.

Bennie Thompson served as an alderman and then mayor of Bolton before being elected to the Hinds County Board of Supervisors, on which he served from 1980 to 1993.

When Mike Espy resigned from the United States House of Representatives in to become Secretary of Agriculture, Bennie Thompson ran in the special election to succeed him.

Bennie Thompson won the seat again in 1994 and has been reelected 12 times.

Bennie Thompson became an outspoken advocate for the Gulf Coast after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit in 2005.

Bennie Thompson pursued waste, fraud, and abuse in hurricane contracting and called for preferences to be given to small and Gulf Coast businesses in the recovery and rebuilding of the affected states.

Bennie Thompson is a founding member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

In 2000, Bennie Thompson wrote legislation that created the National Center for Minority Health and Health Care Disparities.

Bennie Thompson was particularly concerned about local officials getting adequate resources, having been a volunteer firefighter and a local elected official for 24 years.

Bennie Thompson was one of 31 House Democrats to object to the certification of the results of the 2004 presidential election in Ohio.

On December 27,2009, commenting on reports that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who had allegedly tried to set off a suicide bomb on Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on December 25,2009, had subsequently confessed to being trained and equipped in Yemen, Bennie Thompson called for a halt to all current plans with regard to Yemen in light of Abdulmutullab's ties there, including plans to repatriate approximately 80 Yemeni captives in Guantanamo.

Bennie Thompson is a supporter, and one of the proposers of, a bill to prevent auto insurance companies from using credit scores to set their rates, which supporters claim would lower rates for Americans in financial struggle.

Bennie Thompson has been a supporter of a measure to increase screening and background checks for pilot trainees to reduce chances of terrorist exploitation.

In July 2014, Bennie Thompson joined Senator Ron Wyden in introducing a bill to limit the number of documents that are classified and to overhaul the security clearance system.

On March 3,2021, Bennie Thompson was the only House Democrat to vote against the For the People Act, a top legislative priority of House Democrats that would reform campaign finance and election laws and expand voting rights.

On January 7,2021, Bennie Thompson issued a statement about the January 6 United States Capitol attack.

Bennie Thompson issued a statement denouncing Senate Republicans, calling it appalling that Mitch McConnell allowed the bill to be filibustered even after hearing from Officer Brian Sicknick's mother and her support for the bill.

Bennie Thompson was the Permanent Chair of the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

Bennie Thompson is married to London Johnson of Mound Bayou, Mississippi, and has a daughter, BendaLonne, a granddaughter, Jeanna, and a grandson, Thomas.

Bennie Thompson is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and a lifetime member of the Asbury United Methodist Church in Bolton.