Trent Lott

Chester Trent Lott Sr., born on October 9, 1941, is an American lawyer, author, and politician. He represented Mississippi in the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1989 and in the United States Senate from 1989 to 2007. Lott played a significant role in the Republican Party's rise in the Southern states, serving in various leadership positions in Congress. He served as Senate Majority Leader twice and also held the position of Senate Minority Leader. Lott stepped down from his leadership position in 2003 amid controversy over his praise of senator Strom Thurmond's segregationist presidential bid in 1948. Before his political career, Lott worked as an administrative assistant to Representative William M. Colmer.