USAState & local legislatureDemocratic PartyMississippi · Mississippi Senate District 2Member of the Mississippi Senate
Theresa Gillespie Isom
Profile
Theresa Gillespie Isom is an American politician and healthcare administrator serving as a member of the Mississippi State Senate for District 2. Elected in a special election on November 4, 2025, she became the first African American and the first female senator to represent DeSoto County, playing a key role in breaking the Republican supermajority in the state senate. Prior to her political career, she served as a director of nursing at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology and as chief nursing officer for Methodist Hospital. Her legislative platform focuses on expanding Medicaid, protecting rural hospitals, and improving public school funding and accessibility.
Details
- Born
- March 3, 1953 · 73 years old
- Birth place
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Education
- University of St. Francis ( BS ) Union University ( BSN ) University of Tennessee, Knoxville ( MS )
- Career
- Director of nursing at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology, chief nursing officer for Methodist Hospital, chair of the Tennessee Board of Regents Practical Nursing Coordinators
