Neely C. Carlton

Neely Carlton Lyons (born Neely C. Carlton on July 13, 1970) is an American attorney and Democratic politician. She represented the 22nd District in the Mississippi State Senate from 1996 to 2004.

Biography Neely C. Carlton was born on July 13, 1970, in Greenville, Mississippi. Her parents were Frank Carlton, who served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1963 to 1972, and his wife Frances (Caillouet) Carlton. Frank's maternal aunt and Neely's great-aunt, Zelma Wells Price, was also a member of the House, representing Washington County from 1944 to 1956. Neely graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi and then the University of Mississippi School of Law. Carlton became an attorney, working with the Lake Tindall, LLP firm in Greenville by 2002. Carlton was elected to represent the Senate's 22nd district, comprising Bolivar, Sharkey, and Washington counties, for the 1996-2000 term.

Personal life Carlton is a Baptist. She was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority. She was previously married to David Maatallah, and they had a daughter born in January, 2003, making Carlton the first-ever Mississippi state senator to give birth while in office. Carlton and Maatallah then had twin sons, born in May, 2005 /> Before 2017, Carlton married Doug Lyons.