Voters in Senate District 18 decided Tuesday who will represent them at the Mississippi capitol after former Republican Sen. Jenifer Branning left the seat open to serve on the state’s Supreme Court.
Lane Taylor defeated four other opponents – Ike Melton, Marty Sistrunk, Lindsey Kidd, and Mark Forsman – by garnering 58.1% of the vote and avoiding a runoff. With it being a special election, candidates were required to run as nonpartisan. However, Taylor confirmed along the campaign trail that he plans to serve as a Republican.
Taylor began his career as an insurance agent with Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation before founding a professional auction company in 2015 called Lane Taylor Auction Company. The Philadelphia-based company sells general collectibles, antiques, and livestock, among other items.
“I’m a dad, a husband, a conservative, and a small business owner who knows what it means to work hard and put others first. For over a decade, I’ve built my business, raised my family, and stood by the values that make Mississippi strong: faith, family, and common sense. That’s the kind of leadership I’ll bring to the state Senate,” Taylor wrote on Facebook prior to the election.
Afterward, he issued a big “Thank you!” to voters of Senate District 18.