Billy Pat Wright (born March 17, 1937) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

, former

real estate agent A real estate agent or real estate broker is a person who represents sellers or buyers of real estate or real property. While a broker may work independently, an agent usually works under a licensed broker to represent clients. Brokers and agen ...

, former rancher, and a former

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of the

Missouri House of Representatives The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 37,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections ...

. He represented the 159th district, which includes parts of Stoddard County,

Cape Girardeau County Cape Girardeau County is located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Missouri; its eastern border is formed by the Mississippi River. At the 2020 census, the population was 81,710. The county seat is Jackson, the first city in the US ...

, and Wayne County, from 2005 to 2013. He announced his intention to run for state senate in the 25th district in 2012 in February 2011 only to drop out of the race in May 2012.

Early life and career

Billy Pat Wright was born in

Rector, Arkansas Rector is a city in southeast Clay County, Arkansas, Clay County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,977 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. History Rector is named after Governor of Arkansas, Governor Henry Massey Rector (1 ...

in 1937. He attended Marmaduke High School in

Marmaduke, Arkansas Marmaduke is a city in Greene County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,111 in 2010. History The town of Marmaduke was named for Confederate Major General John Sappington Marmaduke, who later served as governor of Missouri. Marmaduke ...

. He then went to

National University A national university is mainly a university created or managed by a government, but which may also at the same time operate autonomously without direct control by the state. Some national universities are associated with national cultural or po ...

and received his

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

He also attended Three Rivers Community College. He later became a

Southwestern Bell Telephone Company Southwestern Bell Telephone Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T. It does business as other d.b.a. names in its operating region, which includes Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and portions of Illinois. The company is curr ...

real estate agent and rancher. In addition, he is a

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that has ...

. During his career he received the Paul Harris Fellow Award from the Dexter

Rotary Club Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, profe ...

and he was the president of the Cotton Club of the

Telephone Pioneers of America Pioneers, a Volunteer Network, founded and more commonly known as the Telephone Pioneers of America, is a non-profit charitable organization based in Denver, Colorado in the United States. The association was organized in Boston in November 1911 ...

. He has also been legislative chair of the

Communications Workers of America The Communications Workers of America (CWA) is the largest communications and media labor union in the United States, representing about 700,000 members in both the private and public sectors (also in Canada and Puerto Rico). The union has 27 loc ...

and president of the Dexter Rotary Club. He is a member of the

Church of Christ Church of Christ may refer to: Church groups * When used in the plural, a New Testament designation for local groups of people following the teachings of Jesus Christ: "...all the churches of Christ greet you", Romans 16:16. * The entire body of Ch ...

, the American-International Charolais Association, the

Masonic Lodge A Masonic lodge, often termed a private lodge or constituent lodge, is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also commonly used as a term for a building in which such a unit meets. Every new lodge must be warranted or chartered ...

, and the Missouri Cattlemen's Association. He is married with three children and nine grand children.

Political career

Billy Pat Wright first ran for the Missouri House of Representatives in 2004. The 159th district had become open when term limits prevented Rob Mayer from running for reelection. Wright defeated Jerry Elder and Don Stephens in the Republican primary and then went on to defeat Boyce Wooley in the general election. Two years later Wright beat Boyce Wooley again and this time he beat him by a greater margin. In 2008 and 2010, Wright won re-election against

Bill Burlison Billy Dean Burlison (March 15, 1931 – March 17, 2019) was an American politician who held office in the states of Missouri and Maryland. Biography Burlison, the son of John Ivy "J.I." and Lillie (née Marler) Burlison, was born and died in War ...

, a former

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

. In February 2011, Billy Pat Wright decided to run for the 25th district in the

Missouri Senate The Missouri Senate is the upper chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 34 members, representing districts with an average population of 174,000. Its members serve four-year terms, with half the seats being up for election every two yea ...

. It was an open seat because Rob Mayer is unable to run for re-election due to term limits. He decided in May 2012 to retire instead of running for the seat. On November 6, Dennis Fowler was elected to the position.

Electoral history

References

External links

Official Missouri House of Representatives profile

Interest Group Ratings

Campaign Finance Information
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Billy Pat 1937 births Living people Republican Party members of the Missouri House of Representatives People from Dexter, Missouri People from Rector, Arkansas National University (California) alumni