Melanie Sojourner

{{short description|American politician}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2014}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Melanie Sojourner

| state_senate = Mississippi

| district = 37th

| term_start = January 7, 2020

| term_end = January 2, 2024

| predecessor = Bob Dearing

| successor = Albert Butler (redistricting)

| term_start1 = January 3, 2012

| term_end1 = January 5, 2016

| predecessor1 = Bob Dearing

| successor1 = Bob Dearing

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|1|5}}

| birth_place = Centreville, Mississippi, U.S.

| residence = Natchez, Mississippi, U.S.

| alma_mater = Louisiana State University

| party = Republican

| website = {{URL|http://www.melaniesojourner.com/}}

| relations = Albert Boyd Sojourner (great-grandfather)

}}

Melanie Sojourner (born January 5, 1968) is an American politician from the state of Mississippi.{{cite web|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/07/07/mississippi-senate-results-to-be-certified-monday/|title=Mississippi Senate Results to Be Certified Monday|author=Reid J. Epstein|work=WSJ|accessdate=September 19, 2014}} She served in the Mississippi State Senate, representing the 37th district. She is a member of the Republican Party.{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2014/06/mississippi-republicans-2014-election-108206.html|title=Mississippi's revolution may be just starting|work=POLITICO|accessdate=September 19, 2014}}

She was born in Centreville, Mississippi, and was raised in Kingston, Mississippi.{{Cite web|last=Guajardo|first=Rod|date=2014-02-20|title=Southwest Mississippi Legislators: Sojourner willing to serve Miss. citizens|url=https://m.natchezdemocrat.com/2014/02/20/southwest-mississippi-legislators-sojourner-willing-to-serve-miss-citizens/|access-date=2021-04-01|website=The Natchez Democrat}} She is the great-granddaughter of Albert Boyd Sojourner, who was in the Mississippi House of Representatives in 1916.

She attended Adams County Christian School, which was founded as a segregation academy and uses the Confederate flag as its symbol, and has enrolled her daughter there.{{cite news |last1=Pittman |url=https://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2019/nov/01/nominees-share-history-slavery-plantations-seg-aca/ |first1=Ashton |title=Nominees Share History of Slavery, Plantations, Seg Academies in Natchez Senate Race |accessdate=2 November 2019 |newspaper=Jackson Free Press |date=November 1, 2019}} She opposed the removal of the Confederate battle flag from the Flag of Mississippi.{{cite web|url=http://www.deepsouthdaily.com/2015/06/mississippi-senator-romneys-call-to-remove-confederate-flag-is-whats-wrong-with-society.html|title=MS Senator: Romney's call to remove Confederate flag is "what's wrong with society"|author=Ashton Pittman|work=Deep South Daily|accessdate=June 23, 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621162927/http://www.deepsouthdaily.com/2015/06/mississippi-senator-romneys-call-to-remove-confederate-flag-is-whats-wrong-with-society.html|archivedate=June 21, 2015|df=mdy-all}}

Sojourner graduated from Louisiana State University. She then worked for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association for eight years, and then as a 4-H associate for Mississippi State University.{{cite web|url=http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2013/07/21/sojourner-joins-stedman-realtors-as-associate/|title=Sojourner joins Stedman Realtors as associate - Mississippi's Best Community Newspaper|date=July 21, 2013 |publisher=|accessdate=September 19, 2014}}

Sojourner defeated Bob Dearing in the 2011 elections to serve in the State Senate.{{cite web|url=http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2011/11/15/sojourner-wins-senate-race/|title=All votes in, Sojourner wins - Mississippi's Best Community Newspaper|date=November 15, 2011 |publisher=|accessdate=September 19, 2014}} She served as the campaign manager for Chris McDaniel's 2014 U.S. Senate campaign.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/in-mississippi-senate-hopeful-mcdaniel-embodies-what-gop-fears-about-tea-party/2014/06/09/548d22ba-efe4-11e3-914c-1fbd0614e2d4_story.html|title=In Mississippi, Senate hopeful McDaniel embodies what GOP fears about tea party|newspaper=Washington Post|accessdate=September 19, 2014}} Sojourner lost her reelection bid to Dearing in the 2015 elections.{{Cite web|url=https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/politicalledger/2015/11/11/melanie-sojourner-concedes-defeat/75597926/|title=Sojourner: Shy of votes to keep District 37 Senate seat|first=Jimmie E.|last=Gates|website=The Clarion-Ledger|accessdate=July 30, 2020}} She was elected back to the Senate in the 2019 elections.{{cite web|url=https://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2019/11/06/sojourner-mims-cockerham-win-election-to-legislature-seats/|title=Sojourner, Mims, Cockerham win election to Legislature seats|work=Natchez Democrat|date=November 6, 2019 |accessdate=January 19, 2020}}

Sojourner's legislative district was effectively dismantled during 2022 redistricting and she ultimately did not seek re-election to the Senate in 2023.{{cite web|url=https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2022/03/28/mississippi-redistricting-maps/7190813001/|title=Republicans make few changes to legislative maps during redistricting|work=Clarion Ledger|accessdate=January 4, 2023}}