Current Mississippi House Representative Mark Baker announced just over a year ago that he would be running for Attorney General of Mississippi in 2019.
“During my time in the Legislature I realized that there was one great impediment to the state of Mississippi moving forward, and it is the Attorney General’s office,” said Baker. “I believe it’s time we had a conservative in this office that refocused the efforts of the Attorney Generals office to the interests and values of the people of the state of Mississippi.”
He believes whoever is in that office needs to refocus from the current administrations direction, and make it a priority to fight crime and protect the public. As well as someone who will parter with local, state, and federal law enforcement to find ways to tackle the crime problem.
Baker was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2004, representing District 74 which includes part of Ranking County and previously included parts of Madison County. The Republican Representative serves as the Chairman of the House Judiciary A and is also a member of the Ways and Means, Banking and Finance, Transportation and Investigate State Offices Committees.
“When I was elected Republicans were in the minority and we fought for years to get conservative policy passed and we had some success,” said Baker. “But we could not get over the hump when it came to cutting taxes and eliminating expenses. The big issues we needed to hit and tackle we just couldn’t do it being in the minority.”
It wasn’t until 2012 that a conservative Speaker was elected in Philip Gunn. At this time Baker was also named as the Chairman of Judiciary A Committee.
“It has been my fervent effort since becoming the Chairman of Judiciary A to reform the office of the Attorney Genera,” said Baker.
During his time in the legislature, Representative Baker has been endorsed by interest groups such as Mississippi Right to Life and the National Rifle Association and has received highly favorable ratings from various conservative, agriculture, education and pro-business groups such as Americans for Prosperity, the American Conservative Union, the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, Empower Mississippi, the National Federation of Independent Business, and the Business and Industry Political Education Committee (BIPEC).
“I’m not looking to be your next Governor or Lt. Governor, this isn’t a track for me,” said Baker, “I’m not a bureaucrat, I haven’t been in government forever. I’ve been in private practice and a part time legislator. But as I did when I became the Republican leader I saw there had to be a change.”
Since Republicans took the majority, Baker said taxes have been reduced over $400 million, spending is aligned with revenue and there is not a strong dependence on one time money, and the passage of the strongest legislation against abortion.
However, he said that the problem now is that all state offices and officials are moving in one direction to try and find economic development and opportunity, except for the current attorney general.
“He has been holding the state back. He has been suing business after business after business,” said Baker.
Baker believes his record as a legislator shows he isn’t just ‘talking’ a good game about what he plans to accomplish as AG, he says the ‘proof is in the pudding.’
“I have 16 years of on the record votes. I have been rated by conservative groups, and previously endorsed in other campaigns by Right to Life and the NRA,” said Baker. “For too long politicians tell you what they’re going to do and say what they promise and I tell people the proof is in the pudding.”
Baker received a B.A. in Criminal justice from the University of Memphis and later went on to achieve a J.D., with distinction, from Mississippi College of Law. He has been a member of the Mississippi Bar since 1987 and currently has a private practice in Brandon.
Sarah Ulmer
