Mississippi voters head to the polls November 7

Absentee voting is now underway, but the majority of Mississippi voters, including those in Long Beach and Pass Christian, will show up in person to cast their ballots in the state’s November 7 General Election.

For South Mississippians, the ballot is dominated with races for statewide office, including the race for Mississippi’s Governor. Incumbent Republican Governor Tate Reeves is vying for a second term. He faces Democrat Brandon Presley. Both candidates advanced to the November election ballot after winning their party’s nomination during the August 8 primary. Independent candidate Gwendolyn Gray withdrew from the race on October 9, but will still appear on the ballot.

Presley, along with several other candidates running for statewide office, participated in a South Mississippi political rally on October 7, where all candidates were invited to speak and share their platforms.

The Long Beach Breeze asked Presley why South Mississippi voters should cast their ballots for him.

“I want to make sure people on the coast know that I’ve been a fighter for the Coast, even when I didn’t represent the Mississippi Gulf Coast (because I am from north Mississippi). I was fighting for the Coast even before I ran for Governor. My opponent was willing to let power bills down here go up forty-one percent. I wasn’t willing to let that happen,” Presley said, referencing the Kemper County plant overruns in the northern part of the state, which caused a major economic shortfall for the Magnolia State.

Presley also says saving the state’s hospitals and improving the health care system in Mississippi will be among his top priorities if he’s elected Governor.

“I want to pass historic ethics reform in Mississippi to clean the system up, and then also get the sales tax off groceries,” Presley says. “We’ve got the highest tax on food of any state in the USA – in the poorest state of the USA. We need to cut the taxes in Mississippi, sales tax on groceries. I want to make sure we do something about that.”

Presley’s opponent, current Governor Tate Reeves, was not at the rally.

Reeves took office as Governor on January 14, 2020. His current term ends on January 9, 2024. Reeves became the first Republican state Treasurer in Mississippi’s history when he was elected to the position in 2003. Reeves held the position until he was elected Lieutenant Governor in 2011, serving alongside then-Governor Phil Bryant for two terms. Reeves succeeded Bryant as Governor following his election in 2019.

As far as other races on the ballot, incumbent Delbert Hosemann will face Democrat D. Ryan Grover, who ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination, in the November general election for Lt. Governor. Grover addressed the crowd at the October 7 political rally in Wiggins. Hosemann did not attend.

Republican incumbent Lynn Fitch is seeking re-election and will face Democrat Greta Kemp Martin in the race for Attorney General. Coast native and incumbent Republican Michael Watson is seeking re-election and will face Democratic opponent Shuwaski Young in the race for Secretary of State. Republican David McRae and Democrat challenger Addie Green will bE vying for the office of Treasurer. Republican incumbent Shad White is also seeking re-election and will face Democratic challenger Larry Bradford in the general election for State Auditor. Incumbent Republican Mike Chaney will face Democrat Mitch Young in November’s state race for Insurance Commissioner. Republican Incumbent Andy Gipson will face Democrat Robert Bradford in the race for Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture.

For more information about candidates, visit sos.ms.gov.

The registration deadline for in-person voting in the November 7 general election was October 9, and the deadline for mail-in voter registration had to be postmarked by October 10.

Absentee ballots must be returned by mail and postmarked by Tuesday, November 7, and received by Tuesday, November 14, to be counted in the general election.

Polls in Long Beach and Pass Christian will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on election day.

For more information on the upcoming general election, as well as candidates running for office, visit Ballotdpedia.com.