Governor Reeves officially launches re-election campaign

The first term Mississippi Governor will face two challengers in the August Republican Primary.

Tuesday night, Governor Tate Reeves (R) officially launched his statewide re-election tour on the Mississippi Coast.

“Thank you to the beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast for a great night with friends and supporters before we officially launch our campaign tomorrow,” Reeves said on Tuesday. “Let’s keep up the Mississippi momentum!”

On Wednesday, the incumbent governor held a campaign stop at Stribling Equipment in Richland, Mississippi.

“Cutting government. Cutting taxes. Raising teacher pay. Raising test scores. Training our workers. Recruiting new jobs,” Governor Reeves said. “Let’s keep up the momentum. This is Mississippi’s time!”

Reeves said as Governor, his job is recruiting new jobs for all people of Mississippi, adding that the two most powerful words in the English language are “you’re hired.” He said every day, he and his administration talk to another new company that wants to come to Mississippi or expand their business in the state.

Reeves told attendees on Wednesday that more people are working in Mississippi than ever before and the unemployment rate is the lowest it has ever been at 3.5%. He said the state is attracting new jobs to the state because the people of Mississippi are working.

“People make companies succeed,” Reeves stated. “You can go all over this country and look at every small town and every large city across America, and the place where you will find the very best people is right here in Mississippi.”

The Governor said that Mississippi has a “pro-growth” government and that he is a “pro-growth” Governor.

“We have lowered our taxes, we invest in training our workers, we balance our budget, and then we get out of the way,” Reeves continued. “That’s not what happens always on the East Coast, on the West Coast. And I have a message for those governors in New York and California, and Illinois: Mississippi is coming to take your jobs and we have no intention of ever giving them back.”

Additionally, Reeves said it doesn’t matter what one says, but what one does. He highlighted some of things that have been accomplished during his time in office, such as raising teacher pay, cutting taxes, raising school test scores, recruiting new jobs, and training the workforce.

“This is Mississippi’s time,” Reeves said. “This election that’s before us is a question of whether or not we will keep up our momentum in Mississippi.”

Following Reeves launching his campaign, Brandon Presley, the presumptive Democratic nominee for Governor, released the following statement: 

After four years of Tate Reeves’ self-dealing and corruption, the only Mississippians who are better off than they were four years ago are Tate Reeves, his personal trainer, his celebrity friends, his lobbyist buddies, and the giant corporations who fuel his campaign. Mississippians are fed up with Tate Reeves helping to funnel millions of dollars meant for working families to his celebrity friends and personal trainer while watching their rural hospitals on the brink of closure and feeling the squeeze from rising costs. 

As governor, I’ll clean up state government so it works for the people, expand Medicaid to provide healthcare to 220,000 working Mississippians, and lower taxes to give working families some breathing room.

Reeves starts his campaign with over $7.9 million on hand in his campaign coffers based on end of year filings from 2022. Updated campaign finance reports will be posted on the Mississippi Secretary of State’s website after May 10th.

Reeves faces John Witcher and David Grady Hardigree in the August Republican Primary.