Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves Clinches Re-election Victory Over Brandon Presley

 Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves Clinches Re-election Victory Over Brandon Presley

Governor Tate Reeves of Mississippi Warmly Welcomes Supporters at His Gubernatorial Reelection Watch Party in Flowood, Mississippi, November 7, 2023.

Mississippi's Republican incumbent governor, Tate Reeves, successfully secured his re-election on Tuesday, as projected by ABC News. Reeves faced a noteworthy challenge from his Democratic opponent, Brandon Presley, a member of the Mississippi Public Service Commission.

Mississippi, a reliably Republican state that former President Donald Trump won by almost 20 points in 2020, unexpectedly became a toss-up race in the final weeks of the campaign. National Democrats invested heavily in Presley's campaign, hoping to capitalize on concerns among the electorate regarding Reeves and flip a state that has been under Republican leadership for nearly two decades. (It's worth noting that Presley is also a second cousin of rock 'n' roll legend Elvis Presley.)

In his concession speech, Presley acknowledged the difficulties he faced during the campaign but expressed his commitment to raising critical issues. He stated, "Tonight’s a setback – but we’re not going to lose hope."

Reeves, in his victory remarks, congratulated Presley for his efforts and emphasized the importance of the state's direction in the next four years. He declared, "Mississippi has momentum," and expressed pride in the state's culture.

During the campaign, Presley sought to link Reeves to corruption allegations, including a state government welfare spending scandal that emerged while Reeves was lieutenant governor under Phil Bryant's administration. Reeves' team dismissed these allegations as baseless.

Reeves also portrayed Presley as a member of the "radical" Democrats, although Presley distanced himself from the national party throughout his campaign.

Presley invested significant resources in engaging and mobilizing Black voters in Mississippi, given that nearly 40% of the state's population is Black. However, despite these efforts, it wasn't enough to secure the victory.

Notably, the abortion issue, which played a significant role in other election races, did not prove to be a deciding factor in Mississippi. Both Reeves and Presley identified as "pro-life" and supported restrictions on abortion access in a state where it is banned in all cases except for rape, incest, and the life of the mother.

Mississippi's gubernatorial race was one of only three such elections held this year. Although Reeves won his first gubernatorial election by a narrow 5% margin in 2019, he was considered the favorite for re-election due to the state's strong Republican lean.

Brandon Presley, who has served on the Mississippi Public Service Commission since 2008, was seen as a viable general election candidate, even though Reeves had been polling ahead of him in the lead-up to the election, according to 538.