23 Facts About Eddie Briggs

Eddie Jerome Briggs was born on October 14,1949 and is an American politician and lawyer.

Eddie Briggs was the first Republican to have held the office of lieutenant governor of Mississippi since Reconstruction.

Eddie Briggs was born in Noxubee County, Mississippi and later moved to Kemper County.

Eddie Briggs's father worked in forestry and his mother worked in a cafeteria.

Eddie Briggs attended East Mississippi Junior College on a football scholarship.

Eddie Briggs then obtained an undergraduate degree from Livingston College and a Juris Doctor degree from Mississippi College.

Eddie Briggs married a woman when he was 21 years old, later divorcing her.

Eddie Briggs served two terms in the Mississippi State Senate as a Democrat.

Eddie Briggs then switched to the Republican Party in 1991 and entered the Republican lieutenant gubernatorial primary.

Eddie Briggs characterized Dye as beholden to "the tired, old, worn politic of the past" and denounced him for failing to pass reform legislation.

Eddie Briggs attacked him for refusing to release his tax returns, participate in a public debate, and for collecting the governor's salary while serving as acting governor whenever the incumbent was out of the state.

Eddie Briggs was sworn-in before the State Legislature on January 9,1992.

Eddie Briggs made five of the nine Republicans in the Senate chairs of committees and ousted many senior leaders in his appointments.

Fordice was a businessman who had little value for the opinion of government officials and expected Eddie Briggs to follow his leadership.

Eddie Briggs thought government experience was valuable and acted independently of him.

Eddie Briggs began to criticize the governor and at one point modified a gubernatorial proclamation while serving as acting governor while Fordice was traveling, earning a public rebuke from the governor.

Eddie Briggs convinced the legislature to schedule a referendum to limit the lieutenant governor to two terms, which was successfully passed in November 1992.

Eddie Briggs ran for second term as lieutenant governor in 1995, facing Democrat Ronnie Musgrove.

Eddie Briggs refused to debate his opponent, and Musgrove accused him of hypocrisy for not releasing his tax returns when he had demanded the same of Dye four years prior.

Eddie Briggs distanced himself from Fordice's reelection campaign due to the differences between the two.

Eddie Briggs lost to Musgrove, taking only 48 percent of the vote.

Eddie Briggs faced several Republicans in the primary including Congressman Mike Parker.

Eddie Briggs is currently an attorney in practice in Madison in central Mississippi.