President Trump nominates former Mississippi Coast mayor to federal position
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Trump nominates former Gulfport mayor Billy Hewes to serve on the CPSC.
- If confirmed by the Senate, Hewes would join four commissioners overseeing product recalls.
- Hewes brings 32 years in public office, including state Senate and three mayoral terms.
President Donald Trump has nominated former Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes to serve on the Consumer Product Safety Commission, a federal agency that regulates the safety of products sold to customers across the country.
The nomination of Hewes, a Republican and former state Senator who most recently served three terms as mayor, comes when the agency is in disarray.
In May, Trump fired three of the five commissioners. Hewes would replace Douglas Dziak, who resigned in August. His resignation leaves only one commissioner, acting chairman Peter Feldman.
A draft memo from the Office of Management and Budget, widely reported in May, suggested doing away with the agency charged with protecting consumers from dangerous products. Some of its duties, according to media reports, would be transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services.
The fired commissioners, all Democrats, filed a lawsuit over their dismissal and are locked in a court battle with the administration. An appellate court is set to decide whether Trump wrongly fired the commissioners from an agency that Congress designed as independent. The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to let the dismissals stand until the case is decided.
Trump earlier this month nominated Hewes to serve a term that would expire October 26, 2031. After deciding against seeking reelection in 2025, Hewes returned to the real estate and insurance companies he runs with his wife. He has not yet responded to a call about his nomination.
This story will be update with any response from Hewes. Staff Writer Anita Lee contributed to this report.
This story was originally published October 7, 2025 at 11:43 AM.