Editing Roger Wicker (section)

==U.S. House of Representatives==

===Elections===
In 1994, [[Jamie Whitten]] declined to seek reelection; he had represented the 1st District for 53 years, longer than any other congressman at the time. Wicker ran to succeed him, spending $750,000 on his campaign.<ref name=faststart/> He finished first in a crowded six-way Republican primary with 7,156 votes (26.62%) and proceeded to a runoff with attorney Grant Fox, who received 5,208 votes (19.37%). Former U.S. Attorney Bob Whitwell finished 600 votes short of the runoff with 4,606 votes (17.14%), 1992 nominee Clyde E. Whitaker came fourth with 4,602 votes (17.12%), 1986 nominee Larry Cobb came fifth with 4,162 votes (15.48%) and 1990 nominee Bill Bowlin took the remaining 1,147 votes (4.27%).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=430420 |title=MS District 1 - R Primary 1994 |publisher=OurCampaigns |access-date=November 25, 2014 |archive-date=November 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117042422/https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=430420 |url-status=live }}</ref> In the runoff, Wicker defeated Fox, 11,905 votes (53.07%) to 10,527 (46.93%).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=430422 |title=MS District 1 - R Runoff 1994 |publisher=OurCampaigns |access-date=November 25, 2014}}</ref>

In the general election, Wicker defeated Fulton attorney Bill Wheeler, 80,553 votes (63.06%) to 47,192 (36.94%),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=28915 |title=MS District 1 1994 |publisher=OurCampaigns |access-date=November 25, 2014 |archive-date=November 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117042432/https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=28915 |url-status=live }}</ref> making him the first Republican to represent the 1st district in over a century. This was not considered an upset, as the 1st has always been a rather conservative district (especially in the [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]] suburbs). The district had only supported the Democratic nominee for president once since 1956, when [[Jimmy Carter]] carried the district in 1976. Although Whitten had a nearly unbreakable hold on the district, it had been considered very likely that he would be succeeded by a Republican once he retired.

Wicker was reelected six times without serious difficulty, never receiving less than 65% of the vote. In 2004, he was unopposed by a Democratic candidate, facing only [[Reform Party of the United States of America|Reform Party]] nominee [[2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Mississippi|Barbara Dale Washer]], whom he defeated by 219,328 votes (79.01%) to 58,256 (20.99%).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=4206 |title=MS District 1 2004 |publisher=OurCampaigns |access-date=November 25, 2014 |archive-date=November 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117042405/https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=4206 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Tenure===
Assuming office in 1995, Wicker was president of the freshman class, which included 53 other new Republican representatives, elected as part of the [[Republican Revolution|1994 "Republican Revolution"]].<ref name=faststart/>

Wicker was a member of the [[United States House Committee on Appropriations|House Appropriations Committee]]. He was also deputy Republican [[Party whips of the United States House of Representatives|whip]].

In Congress, Wicker worked on issues related to medical research and on economic development for his home state. He advocated private-public partnerships to bring investment to rural areas. Wicker also worked for veterans' issues while serving as a member of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee.<ref>[https://wicker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=AboutRoger.Biography About Roger] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117042424/https://www.wicker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=AboutRoger.Biography |date=November 17, 2020 }} from Wicker's official U.S. Senate website</ref> In his final year as representative, Wicker topped the list in [[Earmark (politics)|earmarks]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/03/congress.earmarks/index.html| title=They're back: Representatives reveal their earmarks| date=April 4, 2009| access-date=April 4, 2009| publisher=CNN| quote=The top earmark requester in the House last year—now Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi—has not yet posted any earmarks for this year.| archive-date=November 17, 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117042425/http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/03/congress.earmarks/index.html| url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2007, Wicker was criticized after securing a $6 million earmark for a defense company whose executives had made significant contributions to his campaign.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Mosk|first1=Matthew|title=Wicker's Earmark Elicits Criticism|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/15/AR2008011503355.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=July 13, 2014|date=January 16, 2009|archive-date=November 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117042414/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/15/AR2008011503355.html|url-status=live}}</ref>