Representative Trent Kelly, Republican from Mississippi

Trent Kelly

Mississippi's 1st congressional district

MS-1 Midterms Intelligence

Trent Kelly sits in one of the safest Republican seats in the South, but MS-01 is more textured than the topline suggests. The district is R+40 and still gave Democrats a modest +6 trend shift, reflecting a coalition that is deeply conservative yet not politically static. Its defining feature is the blend of military culture, manufacturing muscle, and a sizable Black population (27.9%) spread across small cities and rural counties. Kelly’s committee footprint—Armed Services, Intelligence, and Agriculture—matches the district’s identity and gives him a security-first, farm-and-factory profile.

For advocates, this is not persuasion turf so much as permission structure turf. Messages work when framed around jobs, defense readiness, rural infrastructure, and protecting local institutions in a district with 17.1% manufacturing employment and 6.1% veterans. The tension is economic fragility beneath cultural conservatism: median income is $62,385, but obesity and uninsured rates remain high enough to make health access and workforce resilience viable secondary frames if tied to productivity, not ideology.

Representative Trent Kelly represents Mississippi's 1st congressional district, serving 746,893 constituents. The district has an estimated median household income of $62,385 and an unemployment rate of 4.3%.

Economic & Demographic Snapshot

746,893Population
↑ 5,784
$62,385Median Incomenat'l $37,585
↑ $3,847
4.3%Unemploymentnat'l 3.5%
↓ 0.6%
11.8%Poverty Ratenat'l 12.4%
↑ 0.5%
73.4%Homeownershipnat'l 65.5%
→ no change
$938Median Rentnat'l $1,163
↑ $53
0.1%Public Transitnat'l 5%
→ no change
24.9 minMean Commutenat'l 26.4 min
↑ 0.2 min

Data sourced from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2017-2021 vs. 2019-2023). All figures are statistical estimates with 90% confidence level.

Mississippi District 1 Demographics

Median Age 38 (vs 38.5) · Homeownership 73.4% (vs 65.5%) · Bachelor’s+ 24.5% (vs 33.7%) · Poverty 11.8% (vs 12.4%) · Income $62,385 (vs $37,585)

Key Issues for This District
Education access

Age Distribution

Near the national median age (38 vs 38.5 nationally). The largest age cohort is 10–19 at 14.5%.

Race & Ethnicity

White residents are the largest group at 64.2%. Also significant: Black (27.9%).

* Hispanic includes respondents of any race. Racial categories include both Hispanic and non-Hispanic individuals.

Education

24.5% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, below the 33.7% national average. 13.2% of residents lack a high school diploma.

Income Distribution

Median household income is $62,385, well above the $37,585 national median.

Housing

Homeownership at 73.4% (vs 65.5% nationally). Median rent is $938. Median home value is $187,800.

How People Get to Work

Car-dependent: 84.2% drive alone to work. Average commute is 24.9 minutes.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates
Data represents 5-year statistical estimates for increased reliability.

Mississippi District 1 FAQ

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Representative Kelly focuses on Armed Forces and National Security, Agriculture and Food and Transportation and Public Works. Deliver personalized constituent letters to Mississippi's federal, state, and local officials — live in under five minutes.

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