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The 2023 Mississippi gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2023, to elect the
governor of Mississippi The governor of Mississippi is the head of government of Mississippi and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. state, state's Mississippi National Guard, military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either appro ...
. Incumbent Republican governor
Tate Reeves Jonathan Tate Reeves (born June 5, 1974) is an American politician serving as the 65th List of governors of Mississippi, governor of Mississippi since 2020. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Reeves served as the ...
won re-election to a second term, defeating Democratic nominee, Public Service Commissioner
Brandon Presley Brandon Everitt Presley (born July 21, 1977) is an American politician who served as a member of the Mississippi Public Service Commission from the Northern District from 2008 to 2024 and mayor of Nettleton, Mississippi, from 2001 to 2007. He ...
. Primary elections were held on August 8. Reeves won the Republican nomination, while Presley won the Democratic nomination unopposed. The race was considered to be competitive, with Reeves moderately favored. Reeves won re-election, but this was the best performance for a Democrat, the worst for a Republican, and the closest Mississippi gubernatorial election since
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
. It was also the closest ever gubernatorial election in the state won by a Republican, and the closest gubernatorial election in the 2023 cycle.


Background

This was the first Mississippi gubernatorial election since a 2020
referendum A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...
altered the election process. Previously, under a provision crafted as part of the 1890
Constitution of Mississippi The Constitution of Mississippi is the primary organizing law for the U.S. state of Mississippi delineating the duties, powers, structures, and functions of the state government. Mississippi's original constitution was adopted at a constituti ...
, a candidate needed a majority of voters across the state and a majority of voters in a majority of state House of Representatives districts; if no candidates achieved such a result, the state House of Representatives would choose between the top two finishers, something that only happened in
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
. This structure was referred to as Mississippi's version of the
electoral college An electoral college is a body whose task is to elect a candidate to a particular office. It is mostly used in the political context for a constitutional body that appoints the head of state or government, and sometimes the upper parliament ...
; it was originally crafted, in the words of the Mississippi Historical Society, as part of "the legal basis and bulwark of the design of white supremacy". In the 21st century, because the state House districts favor Republican candidates, the provision was seen as helping Republican gubernatorial candidates as well. Under the new law, any candidate who receives a majority of statewide votes will be elected; if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, a statewide runoff election between the top two candidates will be held. A
socially conservative Social conservatism is a political philosophy and a variety of conservatism which places emphasis on traditional social structures over social pluralism. Social conservatives organize in favor of duty, traditional values and social institu ...
Southern state, Mississippi is considered safely Republican at the federal and state levels, with both of its
U.S. senators The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of ...
, all but one of its U.S. representatives and all statewide executive officers currently belonging to the Republican Party. In the 2020 presidential election,
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
comfortably carried Mississippi by 17 percentage points. Incumbent governor
Tate Reeves Jonathan Tate Reeves (born June 5, 1974) is an American politician serving as the 65th List of governors of Mississippi, governor of Mississippi since 2020. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Reeves served as the ...
was first elected in
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
, narrowly defeating then-
attorney general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...
Jim Hood James Matthew Hood (born May 15, 1962) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 39th Attorney General of Mississippi from 2004 to 2020. Hood was first elected Attorney General in 2003, defeating Republican Scott Newton. A former ...
, who was the only
Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...
elected to hold statewide office in Mississippi at the time. Most analysts considered Reeves to be a favorite to win reelection, given the state's partisan lean and incumbency advantage. Nonetheless, the race was considered to be unusually competitive throughout the Fall as polling showed the race within the margin of error. Weaknesses for Reeves included his narrow victory four years prior, the heavy criticism he has faced for his handling of the Jackson water crisis, and for his ties to a welfare corruption scandal, both of which led him to have the lowest approval ratings of any Republican governor in the country. The Democratic nominee,
Brandon Presley Brandon Everitt Presley (born July 21, 1977) is an American politician who served as a member of the Mississippi Public Service Commission from the Northern District from 2008 to 2024 and mayor of Nettleton, Mississippi, from 2001 to 2007. He ...
, was considered to be a strong general election candidate; he represented the Northern district on the
Mississippi Public Service Commission The Mississippi Public Service Commission (MPSC or PSC) is a government agency which regulates telecommunications, electric, gas, water and sewer utilities in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The commission was created in 1884 and in its early ...
since 2008, despite that district having a strong Republican bent, and held relatively moderate views on social issues, thus being closer to fitting the state. Mississippi has the highest rate of disenfranchisement in the United States and around 16% of the African American voting age population is disenfranchised.


Republican primary


Candidates


Nominee

*
Tate Reeves Jonathan Tate Reeves (born June 5, 1974) is an American politician serving as the 65th List of governors of Mississippi, governor of Mississippi since 2020. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Reeves served as the ...
, incumbent governor


Eliminated in primary

*David Grady Hardigree,
U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...
veteran *John Witcher, physician


Declined

*
Lynn Fitch Lynn Fitch (born October 5, 1961) is an American lawyer, politician, and the 40th Mississippi Attorney General. She is the first woman to serve in the role and the first Republican since 1878. Previously, she was the 54th State Treasurer of Mis ...
,
Mississippi Attorney General The attorney general of Mississippi is a statewide elected office in the United States, U.S. state of Mississippi. The attorney general is a state constitutional officer, constitutional officer responsible for representing state agencies in lega ...
''( ran for re-election)'' * Robert Foster, former
state representative A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United St ...
and candidate for governor in
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
''(ran for the DeSoto County Board of Supervisors)'' * Andy Gipson, Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce ''( ran for re-election)'' *
Philip Gunn Philip Anthony Gunn (born January 27, 1963) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Mississippi. A member of the Republican Party, Gunn was the Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives and represented the 56th district. He se ...
, Speaker of the
Mississippi House of Representatives The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi. According to the state constitution of 1890, it is to comprise no more than 122 members elected for ...
* Bill Waller Jr., former Chief Justice of the
Mississippi Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Mississippi is the highest court in the state of Mississippi. It was established in 1818 per the terms of the first constitution of the state and was known as the High Court of Errors and Appeals from 1832 to 1869. The court ...
, son of former governor
Bill Waller William Lowe Waller Sr. (October 21, 1926 – November 30, 2011) was an American politician and attorney. A Democrat, Waller served as the 56th governor of Mississippi from 1972 to 1976. Born near Oxford, Mississippi to a farming family, Wall ...
, and candidate for governor in
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
*
Michael Watson Michael Watson (born 15 March 1965) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1984 to 1991. He held the Commonwealth Boxing Council, Commonwealth middleweight title from 1989 to 1991, and challenged three times for a world titl ...
,
Mississippi Secretary of State The Mississippi secretary of state is an officer of Mississippi originally established under the Article IV, §14 of Mississippi Constitution of 1817, and was reestablished under Article V, §133 of the Mississippi Constitution, Mississippi Consti ...
''( ran for re-election)'' *
Shad White Shadrack Tucker White (born September 22, 1985) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 42nd State Auditor of Mississippi since 2018. A member of the Republican Party, White is the first millennial to hold statewide office in the D ...
, Mississippi state auditor ''( ran for re-election)''


Polling

Tate Reeves vs. Bill Waller Jr.


Results


Democratic primary


Candidates


Nominee

*
Brandon Presley Brandon Everitt Presley (born July 21, 1977) is an American politician who served as a member of the Mississippi Public Service Commission from the Northern District from 2008 to 2024 and mayor of Nettleton, Mississippi, from 2001 to 2007. He ...
,
Mississippi Public Service Commission The Mississippi Public Service Commission (MPSC or PSC) is a government agency which regulates telecommunications, electric, gas, water and sewer utilities in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The commission was created in 1884 and in its early ...
er for the Northern District


Disqualified

* Bob Hickingbottom, political consultant and
Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...
nominee for governor in
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
* Gregory Wash, songwriter and candidate for governor in
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...


Declined

*Shuwaski Young, political organizer and nominee for in
2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
''( ran for Secretary of State)''


Fundraising


Results


Independents


Candidates


Withdrawn

*Gwendolyn Gray, nonprofit executive ''(endorsed Presley, remained on ballot)''


Declined

* George Flaggs Jr., mayor of Vicksburg and former Democratic
state representative A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United St ...
* Bill Waller Jr., former Chief Justice of the
Mississippi Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Mississippi is the highest court in the state of Mississippi. It was established in 1818 per the terms of the first constitution of the state and was known as the High Court of Errors and Appeals from 1832 to 1869. The court ...
, son of former governor
Bill Waller William Lowe Waller Sr. (October 21, 1926 – November 30, 2011) was an American politician and attorney. A Democrat, Waller served as the 56th governor of Mississippi from 1972 to 1976. Born near Oxford, Mississippi to a farming family, Wall ...
, and candidate for governor in
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...


General election


Predictions


Debate


Endorsements


Polling

Aggregate polls
Tate Reeves vs. generic opponent


Results


Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

*
Forrest Forrest may refer to: Places Australia *Forrest, Australian Capital Territory *Forrest, Victoria, a small rural township *Division of Forrest, a federal division of the Australian House of Representatives, in Western Australia *Electoral distric ...
(largest city:
Hattiesburg Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County (where it is the county seat and most populous city) and extending west into Lamar County. The city population was 48,730 in 2020, making it the 5th m ...
) *
Grenada Grenada is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean Sea. The southernmost of the Windward Islands, Grenada is directly south of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and about north of Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad and the So ...
(largest city:
Grenada Grenada is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean Sea. The southernmost of the Windward Islands, Grenada is directly south of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and about north of Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad and the So ...
) * Lowndes (largest city:
Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451–1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, the capital city of the U.S. state of Ohio * Columbus, Georgia, a city i ...
) * Winston (largest city:
Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...
) * Yalobusha (largest city: Water Valley)


Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Lafayette (largest city:
Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
) *
Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States * Madison (footballer), Brazilian footballer Places in the United States Populated places * Madi ...
(largest city:
Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States * Madison (footballer), Brazilian footballer Places in the United States Populated places * Madi ...
)


By congressional district

Reeves won three of four congressional districts.https://davesredistricting.org/maps#viewmap::2a63d0b3-58db-4e59-9b3b-436b221e078a


See also

*
2023 Mississippi elections The 2023 Mississippi elections took place on November 7, 2023, with the primary on August 8 and any required runoffs on August 29. All executive offices in the state up for election, as well as all 52 seats of the Mississippi State Senate, all 1 ...


Notes

Partisan clients


References


External links

Official campaign websites
Gwendolyn Gray (I) for GovernorBrandon Presley (D) for GovernorTate Reeves (R) for Governor
{{2023 United States elections
Gubernatorial A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...
Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
Mississippi gubernatorial election Mississippi gubernatorial elections