Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 9, 2026

Toby Barker

Toby Barker is an American politician and the current Mayor of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. In 2007, he was elected a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from the 102nd District. At the age of 25, Barker became the then-youngest legislator elected in Mississippi's history. He is a former member of the Republican Party. In 2017, Barker ran as an independent and defeated four-term incumbent Johnny DuPree to become Hattiesburg's 35th mayor.

Last revised
Jul 9, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
282 w
Citations
5
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Toby Barker
Mayor of Hattiesburg
Incumbent
Assumed office
July 3, 20171
Preceded byJohnny DuPree
Member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
from the 102nd district
In office
2008–2017
Preceded byLee Jarrell Davis
Succeeded byMissy McGee
Personal details
Born (1981-12-31) December 31, 1981
Meridian, Mississippi, U.S.
PartyIndependent (since 2017)
Other political
affiliations
Republican (before 2017)
SpouseKate Northrop
Children2
University of Southern Mississippi (B.A., 2004; M.A., 2006) Brown University (Master of Healthcare Leadership, 2015)
Websitehttp://www.tobybarker.com/

Toby Barker (born December 31, 1981) is an American politician and the current Mayor of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. In 2007, he was elected a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from the 102nd District. At the age of 25, Barker became the then-youngest legislator elected in Mississippi's history.2 He is a former member of the Republican Party.3 In 2017, Barker ran as an independent and defeated four-term incumbent Johnny DuPree to become Hattiesburg's 35th mayor.4

The 2025 mayoral election was held on June 3, 2025, alongside other Hattiesburg municipal races. Barker was eligible for re-election to a third four-year term. Primary elections were canceled, as no one else challenged him for the seat.5

Barker is a graduate of The University of Southern Mississippi with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications (2004) and a Master of Science degree in Economic Development (2006). He also holds a Master of Healthcare Leadership degree from Brown University (2015).

References

References

  1. "Toby Barker sworn in as 35th mayor of Hattiesburg". June 23, 2017.
  2. "Toby Barker for Hattiesburg Mayor - Meet Toby". Toby Barker for Hattiesburg Mayor. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  3. "Toby Barker". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  4. WDAM Staff (June 6, 2017). "New Era: DuPree concedes, Barker Hattiesburg mayor". Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  5. WDAM Staff (February 2, 2025). "Hattiesburg mayor to run unopposed for 3rd term". WDAM. Retrieved February 15, 2025.