GOP picks Payne

The Mississippi Republican Party has hired a new executive director, Brandon Payne. A Coast native, Payne most recently worked as the Southern District field representative for U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, responsible for the 18 southernmost counties in Mississippi.

Payne is also the president of the Harrison County Republican Club and a member of the Harrison County Republican Executive Committee. A former Biloxi police officer, Payne was appointed by Gov. Phil Bryant to serve on the state’s five-member Crime Stoppers Advisory Council. He has held various volunteer positions with a multitude of statewide and local political campaigns, and also served with many civic and charitable organizations.