Key takeaways:
- Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) has won a second term in office, extending the Republican Party’s two-decade hold on the governorship.
- Reeves won a majority of the vote, obviating the need for a runoff election that would have taken place on Nov. 28.
- Reeves’ victory marks the first time a Republican has been re-elected governor in Mississippi since the 1990s.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) has won a second term in office, extending the Republican Party’s two-decade hold on the governorship. Reeves defeated Democrat Brandon Presley, a public service commissioner and cousin to rock-n-roll pioneer Elvis Presley, who would have been the first Democrat to run the state in two decades.
Reeves won a majority of the vote, obviating the need for a runoff election that would have taken place on Nov. 28. The governor’s campaign spent almost $10 million on ads promoting his re-election, building a massive war chest of campaign cash.
Despite the large financial advantage, the race was closer than usual in deep red Mississippi. Attacks from Presley and Democrats over health care and a welfare corruption scandal kept the race tight. In ads funded by the Reeves campaign, the governor turned the gubernatorial race into a referendum on the two parties in a state that leans strongly Republican.
Reeves’ victory marks the first time a Republican has been re-elected governor in Mississippi since the 1990s. The governor has credited his win to his focus on the state’s economy, education, and infrastructure. He has promised to continue to work to make Mississippi a better place for all its citizens.
Be First to Comment