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Angela Cockerham, D-Magnolia, often votes with the Republican majority in the House. Wochit

Rep. Angela Cockerham, D-Magnolia, stands on the House floor.(Photo: File photo/The Clarion-Ledger)

Angela Cockerham is a Democrat in the Mississippi House.

In 2005, at the age of 28, she was a fresh face her first try for political office when voters elected her in a special election to replace then- longtime Rep. David Green, D-Gloster, who didnt seek reelection in 2005. Green is now deceased.

Cockerham, who has been called a hard worker, dedicated and intelligent individual. She is a partner in the law firm of former U.S. Rep. Wayne Dowdy.

She is one of two Democrats to hold committee chair positions in the House and she serves on the Appropriations Committee, often referred to as the money committee.

However, she has drawn criticism for voting with the Republican majority on some key votes in the House. She dismisses the criticism, saying she votes for what she believes in.

"My work speaks for itself," Cockerham said.

One frequent critic of Cockerham has been Brenda Scott,president of the Mississippi Alliance of State Employees. whorecently chided Cockerham for her support of House Bill 974 to removemost state employees from civil service protection for three years, which would allow agency heads to more easily fire them or shift their positions to save money as the state budget crunch persists.

Scott has promised to recruit someone to run against Cockerham in the next election.

The civil service protection bill passed 62-58 in the House, mostly along partisan lines with Republicans in favor and Democrats voting against. Cockerham presented the bill on the House floor. However, there were a couple crossover votes on both sides. The bill died in a Senate committee this week.

In early 2016, Cockerhamwas the lone Democrat to vote with Republicans to seat Mark Tullos instead of then-Democratic incumbent Bo Eaton in the 2015 contested House District 79 seat. With Tullos declared the winner by the Republican-controlled House, it gaveRepublicans a three-fifths supermajority of 74 in the 122-member chamber. But House leaders said the vote wasn't based on partisan politics, but about problems with the election, which resulted in a tie that was broken by drawing straws in November. Eaton drew the long, green straw, but Tullos contested the election to the House.

Last year, Cockerham voted for the controversial House Bill 1523.A federal judge banned the law from going into effect. Those opposed to House Bill 1523 say Mississippi's religious objections law would allow government officials and private businesses, individuals and medical and social service agencies to discriminate against Mississippians based on religious and so-called "moral" objections to the existence of transgender people, marriages of same-sex couples and non-marital sexual relationships.

Supporters of the HB 1523, including Gov. Phil Bryant, saidthe law "gives the opponents of same-sex marriage the same conscientious-objector protections that federal law confers on the opponents of warfare, abortion, capital punishment and physician-assisted suicide."

Bryant hasappealed the federal judge ruling to the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

When asked about her voting pattern,Cockerham said she doesnt cast votes based on her party affiliation. She cast ballots based uponher beliefs.

"When I'm casting my vote, I'm voting my conscience, based upon what is in the best interest for my district and the state," Cockerham said.

Cockerham serves District 96, which serves Adams, Amite, Pike and Wilkinson counties.

Cockerham said her core values are rooted in her faith in God.She said she will continue to put things in God's hands.

"I want to have a positive impact on society," Cockerham said. "I'm blessed to have an opportunity to serve...I think I work really hard. What I do, I do 1,000 percent...I consider myself part of the leadership of the state."

Cockerham said some of the legislation she is proud of include:

Working with House Speaker Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Tate Reevesto appropriate $8 million to Jackson State University for expansion of the School of Engineering, Phase II in 2014, $2 million to JSU to establish a School of Public Health in 2015, $200,000 to Amite County School District for repair and renovations, $200,000to Wilkinson County School District for infrastructure improvements in 2016, designated a segment of Mississippi 48 in Amite County as the "Taurean Harris Memorial Highway" in honor of the Army sergeant from Liberty killed in the line of duty, $3.8 million to build the Wilkinson County Hospitality Center.

"Speaker Gunn has always been supportive of me personally and supportive of the people and concerns of my district and Southwest Mississippi," Cockerham said.

Cockerham was one of two Democrats named to committee chairmanships by Gunn, R-Clinton. Cockerham is chair of Energy. The other is Deborah Butler Dixon, D-Raymond, who is head of Youth and Family Affairs.

State Democratic Party Chairman Bobby Moak, a former longtime member of the House, said he wouldn't have voted the way Cockerham voted on some issues, but said it is her prerogative to vote as she chooses.

Moak said the Democratic Party doesn't target elected officials, but he said for the next election, the party will make sure lawmakers and other elected officials have to answer for their votes. He said their voting records will be in the public eye.

"Folks can vote the way they want to, but they will have to answer for their votes,"Moak said. "You will get the opportunity to defend your record."

Rep. Sonya Williams-Barnes, D-Gulfport, chairwoman of the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus, said Cockerham's voting pattern has come up from time to time in conversation by some members of theBlack Caucus.

And Williams-Barnes said ideally the Black Caucus would like for all members to support caucus positions, but she said the Republican Party doesn't always get 100 percent support from its House members and neither does the Democratic Party always get 100 percent support of their issues.

Cockerham is an active member of the MLBC, Williams-Barnes said.

Williams-Barnes said she doesn't believe in getting involved in how another lawmaker votes on issues.

Contact Jimmie E. Gates at 601-961-7212 or jgates@gannett.com. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter

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Democrat makes no apology for voting across aisle - Jackson Clarion Ledger