“It is an honor to me to be asked to follow in the footsteps of Trent Lott,” newly appointed U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker said Friday to members of the Mississippi State community. Wicker made a stop on campus for a speech sponsored by the College Republicans following a five-day bus tour of the state.He was recently appointed temporary senator after former U.S. Sen. Trent Lott resigned from his position on Dec. 18.
Wicker was formerly an officer in the U.S. Air Force, a state senator and a member of the House of Representatives.
“I appreciate the confidence the government has put on me by asking me to fill this roll, and in doing so, I will have a lot to live up to,” he said.
Mississippi District 6 Sen. Alan Nunnelee, who worked with Wicker, said he feels Wicker is qualified for the job.
“I think Sen. Wicker is an excellent appointment by Gov. [Haley] Barbour,” Nunnelee said. “He has done an excellent job representing the state of Mississippi in the House of Representatives, so I am excited to see what he will do for Mississippi while being a part of the United States Senate.”
Wicker plans to keep higher education more affordable in hopes of more people being able to have the opportunity to continue their education beyond the high school level, he said.
“I want to continue the relationship that we have to help with research dollars … and to forward the education of the people here in the state of Mississippi,” Wicker said.
Wicker not only wants to help with higher education but to get to know the citizens of Mississippi.
“I want an opportunity to work for a group of optimists like the people of Mississippi,” he said.
Wicker has hopes to not only help the people, but to receive help from the people in return.
“There is nothing done with significance for the state of Mississippi that did not involve a partnership,” he said. “I don’t know all the answers and the local folks don’t know all the answers, but together we can form a policy that can move our state and nation ahead, and I want to be a part of that.”
Freshman sociology major Dana Aguillard attended Wicker’s speech.
“I had a lot of respect for Trent Lott, but I think that Roger Wicker will do a good job in the position,” she said. “He was very well-spoken and seemed to know exactly what he wanted to do for the state.”
Due to Lott’s resignation there will be a special election in November to elect a permanent person for the position. Wicker will be running against his former roommate, former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove.
“I am running for the job and I am running on my record, so maybe we won’t look at it as running against him,” Wicker said.
President of the College Republicans Phillip Bass said he thought the event went well.
“He was able to shake a lot of hands and let a lot of people know what he was about,” he said. “He also let them know what he is going to do if elected senator.