Joel Carter
Mississippi State Senator, District 49 since 2019. Next on the ballot in 2027.
- In office
- 7 yrs
- Since 2019
- Bills became law
- 4
- 39 sponsored, 2025–2026 session
- Votes missed
- 7.9%
- Chamber median 1.2%
- With party
- 96%
- On votes splitting the parties
- Last margin
- +39.8
- Won 2023
- Next election
- 2027
- Nov 2, 2027
Source: Wikidata, congress-legislators and Open States; 99chambers legislative recordsUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET
Committees
As of 2026-10.
- Energy · chair
- Housing · vice chair
- Business and Financial Institutions
- Economic and Workforce Development
- Finance
- Highways and Transportation
- Municipalities
- Ports and Marine Resources
- Universities and Colleges
Source: Open States committeesUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET
Legislation
Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency · Became law Mar 2026
Energy · Became law Mar 2026
Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency · Became law Mar 2026
Energy · Vetoed Mar 2026
Source: Open States billsUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:22 PM ET
Voting record
Where Carter sits in the Mississippi State Senate
Carter is closer to the center than 62% of the chamber's Republicans.
Closest: Kevin Blackwell, Chris Johnson, Rita Parks
Source: 99chambers roll-call scalingUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:54 PM ET
With Carter’s party
- Votes with the chamber's Republicans96%
- Cosponsorships of the other party's bills6%
Black tick: the average of Republicans in the Mississippi State Senate.
Source: 99chambers legislative scores from roll calls and cosponsorships
Key votes
Votes chosen for their effect, not their side: Carter’s vote, each party’s majority, and the result. An orange vote differs from most Republicans.
| Date | Bill | Carter | Rep. majority | Dem. majority | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 5, 2026 | SB 2202: Economic development incentives; require agreements to secure employee freedom and… | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 27–25 |
| May 29, 2025 | HB 15: Appropriation; Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, Department of. | Not voting | Yes | No | Passed 35–6 |
| May 29, 2025 | HB 34: Appropriation; District attorneys and staff. | Not voting | Yes | No | Passed 35–8 |
| May 29, 2025 | HB 32: Appropriation; Attorney General. | Not voting | Yes | No | Passed 33–9 |
| May 29, 2025 | HB 33: Appropriation; Capital Post-Conviction Counsel, Office of. | Not voting | Yes | No | Passed 34–6 |
Source: 99chambers key votes from Congress.gov, Voteview and Open States roll calls
Career
Offices held, and every time Carter was on a ballot. Filled marks are general elections won; hollow marks are primaries; an orange outline is a loss.
Source: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)
Elections
Margin against the seat’s presidential baseline: how the seat voted for president in the same or nearest year.
| Year | Race | Result | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Mississippi State Senate, District 49 | Won | R+39.8 |
| 2019 | Mississippi State Senate, District 49 | Won | — |
Source: 99chambers results archive
Seats Carter has held
- Mississippi State Senate, District 49 · since 2019
Source: 99chambers results archive
Who Carter has run against
- Glen A. Lewis (I) · 2023 general, won
Source: 99chambers results archive
How we know Carter
One person, matched across every source we use.
- Open States ocd-person/cc55837a-0a3e-4bcf-8255-b8786fc2b43f
Source: Identity links: Wikidata, congress-legislators, Open States, FECUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET