Sam Britton

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Sam Britton

| image = SamBritton.jpg

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1956|7|30}}

| birth_place = Waynesboro, Mississippi

| death_date = {{death date|2023|10|16}}|

| death_place = Laurel, Mississippi

| restingplace =

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| office = Commissioner for the Southern District of the Mississippi Public Service Commission

| term_start = {{start date|2016|01}}

| term_end = {{end date|2020|01}}

| predecessor = Steve Renfroe

| successor = Dane Maxwell

| party = Republican

| otherparty =

| spouse = Robin Robinson

| relations =

| children =

| residence =

| alma_mater = Jones County Junior College (AS)
University of Southern Mississippi (BA)

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}}

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.

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

Sam Britton was born on July 30, 1956 and grew up in Waynesboro, Mississippi.{{Cite web |last=Corder |first=Frank |date=October 18, 2023 |title=Former Southern District PSC Commissioner Sam Britton has died |url=https://magnoliatribune.com/2023/10/18/former-southern-district-psc-commissioner-sam-britton-has-died/ |access-date=January 14, 2024 |website=Magnolia Tribune |language=en-US}} 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.{{Cite web |date=August 14, 2018 |title=Mississippi Public Service Commission—Southern District |url=https://rotaryofhattiesburg.com/Speakers/ee918ef7-3ffb-4b0b-ac38-5918bf9c56b7 |access-date=February 1, 2024 |website=Rotary Club of Hattiesburg}}

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.{{Cite web |date=October 18, 2023 |title=Samuel Franklin Britton |url=https://hattiesburgamerican.com/obituaries/pmss0601367 |access-date=January 14, 2024 |website=Hattiesburg American |language=en}}

Career

After 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.{{Cite web |last=Stribling |first=Will |date=July 3, 2019 |title=Sam Britton Bio |url=http://mississippitoday.org/2019/07/03/sam-britton/ |access-date=January 14, 2024 |website=Mississippi Today |language=en-US}}

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.{{cite news |last=Hampton |first=Paul |date=November 3, 2015 |title=Britton defeats Blanton in race for Mississippi PSC |url=http://www.sunherald.com/news/politics-government/election/article42879168.html |access-date=January 25, 2017 |newspaper=Sun Herald |location=Biloxi, Mississippi}} He ran for Secretary of State of Mississippi in the 2019 Mississippi elections, but lost to Michael Watson.{{Cite web |last=Zhu |first=Alissa |last2=Jackson |first2=Wilton |last3=Bologna |first3=Giacomo |date=August 6, 2019 |title=Mississippi secretary of state race: Watson, DuPree secure primary victories |url=https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2019/08/06/mississippi-secretary-state-primary-results/1899260001/ |access-date=January 14, 2024 |website=The Clarion-Ledger |language=en-US}}

Personal life

Britton died on October 16, 2023 from cancer at the age of 67.

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. They had one daughter together. He was Methodist and served in leadership positions in his local church. He lived in Laurel, Mississippi.

Britton completed several marathons including the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C., The New York City Marathon and the San Francisco Marathon.

Electoral history

{{Election box begin no change|title=2015 Mississippi Public Service Commissioner, Southern District, Republican primary{{Cite web |last=Hosemann, Jr. |first=C. Delbert |author-link=Delbert Hosemann |title=2015 Republican Primary Certified Results |url=https://www.sos.ms.gov/elections/electionResults/2015%20Republican%20Primary%20Certified%20Results.pdf |access-date=January 7, 2023 |publisher=Mississippi Secretary of State}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|candidate=Sam Britton|party=Republican Party (United States)|votes=55,966|percentage=46.30}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|candidate=Tony Smith|party=Republican Party (United States)|votes=34,445|percentage=28.49}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|candidate=Mike Collier|party=Republican Party (United States)|votes=30,453|percentage=25.19}}

{{Election box end}}{{Election box begin no change|title=2015 Mississippi Public Service Commissioner, Southern District, Republican primary runoff{{Cite web |title=2015 State Republican Party Certified Primary Runoff Election Results |url=https://www.sos.ms.gov/elections-voting/election-results/2015-election-results/2015-republican-primary-runoff |access-date=March 6, 2023 |website=Mississippi Secretary of Stat}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|candidate=Sam Britton|party=Republican Party (United States)|votes=43116|percentage=58.67%}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|candidate=Tony Smith|party=Republican Party (United States)|votes=30364|percentage=41.32%}}

{{Election box end}}{{Election box begin no change|title=2015 Mississippi Public Service Commissioner, Southern District, election{{Cite web |last=Hosemann, Jr. |first=C. Delbert |author-link=Delbert Hosemann |date=February 14, 2016 |title=Amended Statewide Certification |url=https://sos.ms.gov/elections/electionresults/2015General/certified%20results/Amended%20Statewide%20Certification.pdf |access-date=January 7, 2023 |publisher=Mississippi Secretary of State}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|candidate=Sam Britton|party=Republican Party (United States)|votes=144194|percentage=60.53}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|candidate=Tom Blanton|party=Democratic Party (United States)|votes=89146|percentage=37.42}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|candidate=Lonny Spence|party=Reform Party (United States)|votes=4867|percentage=2.04}}

{{Election box hold with party link without swing|winner=Republican Party (United States)}}

{{Election box end}}{{Election box begin no change|title=2019 Mississippi Secretary of State Republican primary{{cite web|url=https://www.sos.ms.gov/Elections-Voting/Pages/2019-Republican-Primary.aspx|title=2019 REPUBLICAN PRIMARY|publisher=Mississippi Secretary of State|access-date=August 22, 2019|archive-date=August 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190818051133/https://www.sos.ms.gov/Elections-Voting/Pages/2019-Republican-Primary.aspx|url-status=dead}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|candidate=Michael Watson|party=Mississippi Republican Party|votes=187,054|percentage=52.8}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|candidate=Sam Britton|party=Mississippi Republican Party|votes=167,440|percentage=47.2}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20190426060748/http://www.psc.state.ms.us/commissioners/southern/southern.html Archived Official Website] at Mississippi Public Service Commission.
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190712150228/https://www.sambritton.com/ Archived Campaign for Secretary of State Website]

{{s-bef

| before = Steve Renfroe

}}

{{s-ttl

| title = Commissioner of the Mississippi Public Service Commission
from the Southern district

| years = 2016–2020

}}

{{s-aft

| after = Dane Maxwell

}}

Category:Mississippi Republicans

Category:University of Southern Mississippi alumni

Category:1956 births

Category:People from Waynesboro, Mississippi

Category:Jones County Junior College alumni

Category:2023 deaths