▁the ▁partial ▁term ▁remaining ▁on ▁November ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 2 0 1 8 . ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁app ort ion ment , ▁the ▁state ▁has ▁four ▁con gress men ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives , ▁currently ▁Michael ▁Gu est ▁( Rep ublic an ), ▁B enn ie ▁Thompson ▁( D em ocrat ), ▁Steven ▁Pal azzo ▁( Rep ublic an ), ▁and ▁Tr ent ▁Kelly ▁( Rep ublic an ). ▁ ▁Polit ics ▁During ▁the ▁Re const ruction ▁era , ▁fre ed men ▁gained ▁freedom , ▁citizens hip ▁and ▁the ▁franch ise . ▁African ▁Americans ▁could ▁vote ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time . ▁They ▁elected ▁numerous ▁represent atives ▁to ▁local ▁and ▁state ▁offices , ▁despite ▁being ▁subject ▁to ▁int im id ation ▁and ▁violence ▁at ▁the ▁pol ls , ▁increasing ly ▁so ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s , ▁when ▁the ▁Red ▁Sh ir ts , ▁par amil it ary ▁groups ▁representing ▁conserv ative ▁white ▁Democr ats , ▁tried ▁to ▁suppress ▁the ▁black ▁vote . ▁ ▁After ▁a ▁b ira cial ▁Pop ul ist - Rep ublic an ▁coal ition ▁gained ▁power ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 8 0 s , ▁the ▁Democr ats ▁returned ▁in ▁force ▁to ▁the ▁state ▁government . ▁To ▁prevent ▁such ▁a ▁coal ition ▁and ▁to ▁reduce ▁the ▁violence ▁around ▁elections , ▁they ▁decided ▁to ▁exp el ▁African ▁Americans ▁from ▁state ▁politics . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 0 ▁Mississippi ▁passed ▁a