Eddie Briggs

Eddie Jerome Briggs (born October 14, 1949) is an American politician and lawyer. After service in the Mississippi State Senate, Briggs was the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi, a position which he held from 1992 to 1996. He was the first Republican to have held the office of lieutenant governor of Mississippi since Reconstruction.

Early life

Eddie Briggs was born in Noxubee County, Mississippi and later moved to Kemper County. His father worked in forestry and his mother worked in a cafeteria. He attended East Mississippi Junior College on a football scholarship. He then obtained an undergraduate degree from Livingston College and a Juris Doctor degree from Mississippi College.

Briggs married a woman when he was 21 years old, later divorcing her. He then married Becky Harry.

Political career

Briggs served two terms in the Mississippi State Senate as a Democrat. During that time he supported the creation of a four-lane highway program. He then switched to the Republican Party in 1991 and entered the Republican lieutenant gubernatorial primary. He won it unchallenged and faced incumbent Democrat Lieutenant Governor Brad Dye—who had survived a narrow primary—and black independent Henry J. Kirksey. Briggs characterized Dye as beholden to "the tired, old, worn politic of the past" and denounced him for failing to pass reform legislation. He also 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. Briggs ultimately won with 49.5 percent of the vote. Dye collected 41.5 percent, and Kirksey earned the remainder. The Mississippi constitution stipulated that a statewide race not won by outright majority was to be decided by a vote of the House. Dye encouraged the House to affirm Briggs' victory on the basis that he earned a plurality of the votes. He was sworn-in before the State Legislature on January 9, 1992. Upon taking office, he declared that his priorities would be to secure term limits for state officials and institute a ballot initiative process.

As lieutenant governor, Briggs came into conflict with Republican incumbent Governor Kirk Fordice. Fordice was a businessman who had little value for the opinion of government officials and expected Briggs to follow his leadership. Briggs thought government experience was valuable and acted independently of him. He 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. The Mississippi Republican Party chairman at one point arranged a meeting to broker a reconciliation between the two. Briggs convinced the legislature to schedule a referendum to limit the lieutenant governor to two terms, which was successfully passed in November 1992. He also supported tort reform legislation.

Briggs ran for second term as lieutenant governor in 1995, facing Democrat Ronnie Musgrove. 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. Briggs also distanced himself from Fordice's reelection campaign due to the differences between the two. He lost to Musgrove, taking only 48 percent of the vote. He left office on January 4, 1996.

Upon leaving office, Briggs purchased a Ford car dealership in Canton and involved himself in timber and real estate ventures. In late 1998 he announced he would enter the 1999 gubernatorial election, saying, "I promise we will not let anyone outwork us this time." He campaigned on reducing taxes, specifically the state sales tax on food. He faced several Republicans in the primary including Congressman Mike Parker. Parker won the primary and was then defeated by Musgrove. Briggs is currently an attorney in practice in Madison in central Mississippi.

References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Briggs, Eddie
1949 births
Living people
Mississippi lawyers
Lieutenant Governors of Mississippi
Republican Party Mississippi state senators
People from De Kalb, Mississippi
People from Madison, Mississippi