Fielding Lewis Wright was an American politician who served as the 19th lieutenant governor and 49th and 50th governor of Mississippi. During the 1948 presidential election he served as the vice presidential nominee of the States' Rights Democratic Party (Dixiecrats) alongside presidential nominee Strom Thurmond. During his political career he fought to maintain racial segregation, fighting with President Harry S. Truman over civil rights legislation, and holding other racist views.
Fielding L. Wright
From 1944 to 1946, Wright served under Governor Thomas L. Bailey until he succeeded him following Bailey's death.
Portrait of Governor Wright.
Senator James Eastland was an early supporter of Wright's plan to leave the Democratic Party.
Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi
The lieutenant governor of Mississippi is the second-highest ranking elected executive officer in the U.S. state of Mississippi, below the governor of Mississippi, and is the only official in the state to be a member of two branches of state government. The office of lieutenant governor was established when Mississippi became a state in 1817, abolished for a few decades in the first half of the 19th century, and restored later in the century. The lieutenant governor serves a four-year term with a two consecutive term limit. The current lieutenant governor is Delbert Hosemann, a Republican, who has held the office since 2020.
Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi
The lieutenant governor keeps an office in the Mississippi State Capitol.