{{Short description|American businessman and Democratic politician}} {{For|the American LGBT rights activist|Ken Jones (activist)}} {{Infobox officeholder | state_senate = Mississippi State | district = 21st | term_start = January 2008 | term_end = January 2016 | successor = Barbara Blackmon | children = 2 | party = Democratic | predecessor = Joseph C. Thomas | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|2|3}} | birth_place = Canton, Mississippi, U.S. }}
'''Kenneth Wayne Jones''' (born February 3, 1966) is an American businessman and Democratic politician. He was a member of the Mississippi State Senate from 2008 to 2016, and an Alderman of Canton, Mississippi, from 1997 to 2008.
== Biography == Kenneth Wayne Jones was born on February 3, 1966, in Canton, Mississippi.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=2012-2016 Mississippi Blue Book {{!}} Michael Watson Secretary of state |url=https://www.sos.ms.gov/communications-publications/2012-2016-mississippi-blue-book |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=www.sos.ms.gov |pages=91–92}}</ref> He graduated from Canton High School, Jackson State University, and Millsaps College.<ref name=":0" /> He joined the United States Army Reserve, where he served for 24 years before retiring as a Sergeant First Class.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=SC 533 (As Introduced) - 2024 Regular Session |url=https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2024/html/SC/SC0533IN.htm |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=billstatus.ls.state.ms.us}}</ref> Before entering politics, Jones worked as a violence prevention counselor at Tougaloo College.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=1997-05-21 |title=Jones Wins Ward 3 in Canton |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/clarion-ledger-jones-wins-ward-3-in-cant/149527032/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |work=Clarion-Ledger |pages=14}}</ref>
=== Political career === In May 1997, Jones was elected to serve as an alderman of Canton, Mississippi.<ref name=":2" /> He served in the office of alderman for twelve years.<ref name=":1" />
In 2007, Jones was elected unopposed as a Democrat to represent the 21st District, comprising Attala, Holmes, Madison, and Yazoo Counties, in the Mississippi State Senate for the 2008–2012 term.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2009-05-03 |title=Wayback Machine |url=http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/members/ss_membs.xml |access-date=2024-06-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090503224305/http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/members/ss_membs.xml |archive-date=2009-05-03 }}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Kenneth Jones (Mississippi) |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Kenneth_Jones_(Mississippi) |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}}</ref> In 2011, Jones ran for re-election in the same district and defeated Republican Loren Ross.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":0" /> During the 2012–2016 term, Jones was the chairman of the Interstate and Federal Cooperation Committee.<ref name=":0" /> Two times during Jones's Senate service, he was elected Chairman of the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus.<ref name=":1" /> In July 2014, while serving in the Senate, Jones was appointed to also serve on Canton's Municipal Utility Board.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Gates |first=Jimmie E. |title=State senator to resign from utility board |url=https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/08/29/state-senator-resigns-utility-board/14817143/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=The Clarion-Ledger |language=en-US}}</ref> However, the state attorney general ruled that Jones could not serve concurrently in the legislative branch and executive branch, and mandated Jones to resign from the utility board, which he did on August 29, 2014.<ref name=":5" /> Jones ran for re-election to the Senate in 2015, but narrowly lost the Democratic primary to former 12-year state senator Barbara Blackmon, who received 4832 votes, only 34 more than Jones' 4798 votes.<ref name=":4" /> Jones served as a County Administrator of Hinds County from 2020 until his retirement at the end of December 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pickens |first=Erin |date=2023-12-19 |title=Kenny Wayne Jones retires as Hinds County administrator |url=https://www.wapt.com/article/kenny-wayne-jones-retires-as-hinds-county-administrator/46175179 |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=WAPT |language=en}}</ref> In 2024, Jones was appointed the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity's Political Action Chairman for the Southwestern Province.<ref name=":1" />
== Personal life == Jones is a member of the Freemasons.<ref name=":3" /> He is married to the former Bobby Ann Jenkins, and they have two children.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" />
== References == <references />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Kenneth Wayne}} Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:Democratic Party Mississippi state senators Category:21st-century members of the Mississippi Legislature Category:People from Canton, Mississippi Category:Mississippi city council members Category:21st-century African-American politicians Category:20th-century African-American politicians