Republican Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves won his bid to stay in the Governor’s Mansion on Tuesday, fending off a re-election challenge from Democrat Brandon Presley, the second cousin of rock ‘n’ roll legend Elvis Presley, in the reliably red state.
Reeves, who was first elected in 2019 after serving two terms as Mississippi’s lieutenant governor, had received 52.3% of the vote compared to state utility regulator Brandon Presley’s 45.8% when Presley called Reeves to concede the race.
“Too sick to laugh and I’m too old to cry,” Presley told supporters during his concession speech.
Presley, who trailed Reeves by just one percentage point in the polls two weeks before Election Day, has raised more than $11 million since January, far outpacing his opponent’s $6.2 million.
Presley’s competitive race against Reeves has raised hopes among members of his party that he could become Mississippi’s first Democratic governor in 24 years.
Presley blamed Reeves for $77 million in misappropriated welfare funds. AP
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifted its rating for the Deep South from “likely Republican” to “lean Republican” late last month amid Presley’s recent performance on the campaign trail, where he has championed Medicaid expansion, increased hospital funding and focused his campaign outreach to target Black voters.
Reeves’ campaign has been hampered by a $77 million welfare scandal involving NFL legend and Mississippian Brett Favre — which occurred before the governor took office and in which he denies any involvement — which Presley argued occurred under Reeves’ watch as lieutenant governor.
Reeves said his administration is trying to claw back the embezzled money, some of which allegedly went to causes championed by Favre instead of the state’s poorest residents.
Presley trailed Reeves by just 1 percentage point in a recent poll. Getty Images
The incumbent also touted the state’s “economic boom” under his leadership, which led to a $4 billion surplus, and former President Donald Trump’s support of his campaign.
Both candidates said they support Mississippi’s statewide abortion ban, which took effect last year.
A lack of votes in the Democratic stronghold of Hinds County, which includes the state capital of Jackson, led a state court to order that all precincts remain open for an extra hour, delaying Tuesday’s decision.
“This win must be sweet,” Reeves said after Presley’s concession.
“Mississippi has momentum, you’ve heard me say it 1000 times throughout this campaign … this is Mississippi’s time,” he added.
In the state’s lieutenant governor race, Republican incumbent Delbert Hosemann – who survived an August primary challenge from state Sen. Chris McDaniel – defeated Democrat D. Ryan Grover by a wide margin, 62.3% to 37.6%, according to the Associated Press.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
