Sam Britton (July 30, 1956 – October 16, 2023) was a Republican member of the Mississippi Public Service Commission representing the Southern District, serving one term from January 2016 to January 2020.
Sam Britton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Commissioner for the Southern District of the Mississippi Public Service Commission | |
| In office January 2016 – January 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Steve Renfroe |
| Succeeded by | Dane Maxwell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 30, 1956 Waynesboro, Mississippi |
| Died | October 16, 2023 Laurel, Mississippi |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Robin Robinson |
| Alma mater | Jones County Junior College (AS) University of Southern Mississippi (BA) |
Born in Waynesboro, Mississippi, Britton worked in his family's pipeline construction business before earning an accounting degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. He served in key roles at the State Auditor and State Tax Commission offices, later establishing his own accounting firm and succeeding in investment banking. A Republican, Britton was elected to the Mississippi Public Service Commission in 2015 but faced defeat in the 2019 Secretary of State election.
Britton was married to Robin Robinson, a former state representative and sitting state senator, who was actively involved in the Methodist church, and competed in numerous marathons. He died on October 16, 2023 at the age of 67 from cancer.
Early life and education
editSam Britton was born on July 30, 1956 and grew up in Waynesboro, Mississippi.[1] His mother, Sytilee Britton, worked in the school lunch room and drove a school bus. His father, Ellis Britton, Sr., worked in the oil industry as a roughneck.[2][3]
Britton graduated from Jones County Junior College before attending the University of Southern Mississippi where he completed a business degree. After completing college, he worked at his uncle's pipeline construction business. In the early 1980s, Birton returned to the University of Southern Mississippi and got a degree in accounting. He then completed the requirements to become a CPA.[3]
Career
editAfter college, Britton worked in the State Auditor and State Tax Commission offices before starting his accounting firm. He then shifted to investment banking. He was recognized in 2014 as a "Mississippi Leader in Finance" by the Mississippi Business Journal.[3][4]
Britton was elected to the Mississippi Public Service Commission for the Southern District as a Republican in November 2015 with over 60% of the vote defeating Democratic candidate Tom Blanton and Reform candidate Lonny Spence.[5] He ran for Secretary of State of Mississippi in the 2019 Mississippi elections, but lost to Michael Watson.[6]
Personal life
editBritton died on October 16, 2023 from cancer at the age of 67.[1]
Jones met his wife, Robin Robinson, in the fall of 1974 at college. His wife is the former state representative for the 88th district and is now the state senator for the 42nd district, assuming office in 2024.[1][3] They had one daughter together. He was Methodist and served in leadership positions in his local church.[4][3] He lived in Laurel, Mississippi.[2]
Britton completed several marathons including the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C., The New York City Marathon and the San Francisco Marathon.[3]
Electoral history
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Sam Britton | 55,966 | 46.30 | |
| Republican | Tony Smith | 34,445 | 28.49 | |
| Republican | Mike Collier | 30,453 | 25.19 | |
| Total votes | 120,864 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Sam Britton | 43,116 | 58.67% | |
| Republican | Tony Smith | 30,364 | 41.32% | |
| Total votes | 73,480 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Sam Britton | 144,194 | 60.53 | |
| Democratic | Tom Blanton | 89,146 | 37.42 | |
| Reform | Lonny Spence | 4,867 | 2.04 | |
| Total votes | 238,207 | 100 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael Watson | 187,054 | 52.8 | |
| Republican | Sam Britton | 167,440 | 47.2 | |
| Total votes | 354,494 | 100.0 | ||
References
edit- ^ a b c Corder, Frank (October 18, 2023). "Former Southern District PSC Commissioner Sam Britton has died". Magnolia Tribune. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
- ^ a b "Mississippi Public Service Commission—Southern District". Rotary Club of Hattiesburg. August 14, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Samuel Franklin Britton". Hattiesburg American. October 18, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
- ^ a b Stribling, Will (July 3, 2019). "Sam Britton Bio". Mississippi Today. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
- ^ Hampton, Paul (November 3, 2015). "Britton defeats Blanton in race for Mississippi PSC". Sun Herald. Biloxi, Mississippi. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
- ^ Zhu, Alissa; Jackson, Wilton; Bologna, Giacomo (August 6, 2019). "Mississippi secretary of state race: Watson, DuPree secure primary victories". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
- ^ Hosemann, Jr., C. Delbert. "2015 Republican Primary Certified Results" (PDF). Mississippi Secretary of State. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ "2015 State Republican Party Certified Primary Runoff Election Results". Mississippi Secretary of Stat. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ Hosemann, Jr., C. Delbert (February 14, 2016). "Amended Statewide Certification" (PDF). Mississippi Secretary of State. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ "2019 REPUBLICAN PRIMARY". Mississippi Secretary of State. Archived from the original on August 18, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.