Trent Kelly
RepublicanU.S. Representative, MS-1| Age | 60 (b. 1966-03-01) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2015-06-09 (~11 yrs) |
| Religion | Methodist (Saltillo First United Methodist Church) |
| Education | Associate of Arts, East Central Community College; BA Business Administration, University of Mississippi (1989); JD, University of Mississippi School of Law (1994); MS Strategic Studies, U.S. Army War College (2010) |
| Prior occupation | Attorney/private law practice (1995–1999); Tupelo City Prosecutor and Forfeiture Attorney, North Mississippi Narcotics Unit (1999–2011); District Attorney, Mississippi's 1st Judicial District (2012–2015); previously retail manager at McRae's Department Store |
| Military service | Yes: Mississippi Army National Guard / U.S. Army National Guard (Major General) |
| Birthplace | Union, Mississippi |
| Marital status | Married — Sheila Kelly |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Saltillo, Mississippi |
Pending research: race / ethnicity · languages · notable relatives · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2015 |
| Previous offices | Tupelo City Prosecutor (1999–2011) · District Attorney, Mississippi's 1st Judicial District (2012–2015) |
| Committees | Committee on Armed Services (Chair, Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces; Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations) · Committee on Agriculture (Subcommittee on Forestry, Conservation, and Energy; Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry) · Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (Subcommittee on Central Intelligence Agency) |
| Caucuses | National Guard and Reserve Components Caucus (Co-Chair) · Congressional Uzbekistan Caucus (Chair) · Congressional UXO/Demining Caucus |
| Leadership | Chairman, House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces (119th Congress) |
| Ideology | Heritage Action lifetime score 84%, session score 98% (116th Congress); GovTrack.us characterizes as strongly conservative Republican. Signed amicus brief supporting Texas v. Pennsylvania (2020) election lawsuit. Voted against $60 billion Ukraine military aid (2024). |
| Signature legislation | SHIPS for America Act (introduced 2024/2025, co-sponsor; maritime revitalization and shipbuilding) · Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2025 (H.R. 1423, co-introduced with Rep. Levin; GI Bill eligibility expansion for Guard/Reserve) · RECRUIT Act (H.R. 1854, co-sponsor; tax credit for small businesses hiring Guard/Reserve members) |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed + (2023) · estimate
| Rental house | real_estate · $100,001–$250,000 · 2023 |
| Mississippi Public Employees Retirement System | other · $100,001–$250,000 · 2023 |
| Life insurance policy | other · $15,001–$50,000 · 2023 |
Scandals & crimes ledger
No recorded incidents. Under the adjudicated-only methodology, an entry appears only when a court or official body has formally acted and the record is cited.