John A. Polk is a Republican who represented Mississippi Senate District 44 from 2012 until his retirement in 2025 following court-ordered redistricting. Born on March 18, 1949, in Columbia, Mississippi, he attended Prentiss High School and worked at the executive level of his family's business, Polk Meat Products. He is married to Jan Barrett.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi.
• Political Experience: Served as chairman of the Senate Business and Financial Institutions Committee and vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Also served on the Senate Medicaid, Education, and Accountability, Efficiency and Transparency Committees. Cosponsored bills on tax reform, appropriations, remote notarization, and alcohol permit suspensions during the 2025 session . The Senate recognized his service with Resolution 152 in 2025.