Gulfport Mayor Hugh Keating and City Council Oath of Office at Centennial Plaza in Gulfport, Mississippi, on June 30, 2025. (Photo by James Edward Bates - City of Gulfport Mayor's Office page)
- If confirmed, the former Gulfport mayor would join an agency tasked with keeping American consumers safe.
President Donald Trump (R) has nominated former Gulfport mayor Billy Hewes, a Republican, to be a Commissioner on the Consumer Product Safety Commission. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Hewes’ term would expire on October 26, 2031.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission works to keep Americans safe by reducing the unreasonable risk of injuries associated with consumer products and fulfilling its vision to be the recognized global leader in consumer product safety. The agency does this by issuing and enforcing mandatory standards, obtaining the recall of products, and informing and educating consumers, among other statutory avenues.
Should Hewes be confirmed, he will join a federal commission that has seen significant turnover amid ongoing legal battles since Trump came back into office.
Hewes chose not to seek a fourth term as mayor of the state’s second largest city, handing over the reins to Hugh Keating (R) this summer after a spirited municipal election cycle.
Prior to serving as mayor of the Gulf Coast city, Hewes served 20 years in the Mississippi Legislature. While in the State Senate, he rose to be the chamber’s President Pro Tempore before not seeking re-election in 2011. Instead, Hewes ran unsuccessfully for Lieutenant Governor that year against then-State Treasurer Tate Reeves (now Governor), with Reeves winning 57% to 43% in the statewide Republican Primary.
Throughout his over 30 years of public service, Hewes has operated Billy Hewes Insurance and Real Estate, a family business that continues after over 40 years in operation. He is also a musician and enjoys playing music with his band, Cut Bait.
Hewes would replace Douglas Dziak on the Consumer Product Safety Commissioner. Dziak, considered a Republican member of the commission, resigned in August, leaving just one commissioner on the five-person federal board – the Acting Chairman Peter Feldman, also a Trump appointee.
Earlier this year, President Trump sought to fire three of the five members, all Biden era appointees, of Consumer Product Safety Commission. The three members were terminated in May but reinstated in June following a federal district court order. The Biden appointees argued that the President could not terminate their position on the independent agency. The U.S. Supreme Court then blocked the ruling from the three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit after the Trump administration sought an emergency appeal.
With only one commissioner in place at this time, the federal commission has delegated its authorities to officers and employees of the agency to maintain continuity of operations as empowered by Congress until a quorum is present.
Notably, the Trump administration has suggested transferring the commission’s function to the Department of Health and Human Services, but such a move would require congressional action.
Hewes’ nomination to the commission has been referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation chaired by Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R).
Mississippi’s senior U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R) serves on the Commerce committee and is a past chairman. He told Magnolia Tribune on Monday that Hewes is a highly capable and dedicated public servant.
“I am delighted to see that his talents will soon be used on a national level,” Wicker said.
No Senate confirmation hearing date has yet been set for Hewes’ nomination. The process is likely to take months.
