COLUMBUS – Lowndes County Supervisor Trip Hairston on Friday put an end to any mystery about whether he will seek higher office.

In a Facebook post, he officially announced he plans to run for the District 17 seat in the state Senate in 2027. The incumbent, Republican Chuck Younger, who is entering his 13th year in the seat, announced last week he intends to run for Northern District transportation commissioner.

“I wasn’t necessarily looking for another public office, but the opportunity to represent the people in this area in the state Senate caused me to think seriously about where my experience could be most useful,” Hairston wrote in his announcement. “I am grateful for the opportunity the people of Lowndes County have given me to serve and proud of what we have accomplished during that time.”

Hairston, a Republican, was first elected as District 2 county supervisor in 2019, becoming board president the following year. Earlier in his career, he worked as a budget analyst for the Mississippi Legislative Budget Office. He later worked in research finance at Mayo Clinic before returning to Columbus in 2005 in his current position as administrator for Nephrology Associates P.C.

A Columbus native and Oak Hill Academy graduate, Hairston holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi and a master’s of business administration from Belhaven College.

“I’ve seen state government from both sides – first at the Legislative Budget Office and now as a county official dealing with the decisions made in Jackson,” Hairston wrote. “I believe that experience has prepared me to serve the people of District 17 in the state Senate. My approach won’t change: understand the issue, understand the numbers, listen to the people it affects and then make a decision.”

District 17 includes portions of Lowndes, Monroe and Oktibbeha counties. Qualifying for next year’s state elections opens in January.