McDaniel and Hosemann pick up endorsements, Reeves drops new TV ad, and Presley borrows a line from Biden.
Here’s a recap of the latest happenings on the campaign trail as Mississippi voters prepare to cast their ballots this fall.
McDaniel’s bid for Lt. Governor endorsed by CPAC
State Senator Chris McDaniel’s bid to be the next Lt. Governor of Mississippi received the backing of the Conservative Political Action Committee, or CPAC, this week. CPAC chairman Matt Schlapp said McDaniel is the right choice to be the next Lt. Governor in Mississippi.
“Chris is consistently among the highest rated conservative State Senators in Mississippi according to CPAC’s Conservative Ratings. As Lt. Governor, Chris looks to help advance conservative legislation and take on the radical Left,” CPAC tweeted on Thursday. “CPAC endorses Senator McDaniel in his bid to be the next Lt. Governor of Mississippi.”
Founded in 1964, CPAC is the nation’s oldest conservative grassroots organization. It seeks to preserve and protect the values of life, liberty, and property for every American.
McDaniel proudly shared the endorsement, tweeting, “I’m deeply honored to receive the endorsement and support of CPAC!”
BIPEC endorses incumbent Lt. Governor Hosemann’s re-election
The Business and Industry Political Education Committee (BIPEC), which represents business and industry leaders in Mississippi, announced Thursday that they were endorsing Delbert Hosemann in his bid for re-election for Lt. Governor.
BIPEC President and CEO Derek Easley noted Hosemann’s leadership in cutting taxes and growing the state’s educated workforce.
“Delbert has personal experience running a business and he has always brought this knowledge to the legislative arena, first as Secretary of State and also in his first term as Lt. Governor,” Easley said. “He has used this knowledge to make it easier to start and maintain a business in Mississippi. We applaud his administration’s efforts and look forward to a second term.”
Hosemann said in a release that his team has worked hard to champion the interests of Mississippi businesses, increase opportunities for workforce training, and otherwise make Mississippi an attractive place to open or expand.
“We are thankful for BIPEC’s endorsement,” Hosemann said.
Governor Reeves releases new campaign ad titled “You’re Hired!”
Governor Tate Reeves’ re-election campaign released his second television ad of the 2023 cycle, titled “You’re Hired.”
In the new ad, Reeves focuses on Mississippi’s economic performance over the last few years, touting the state’s lowest-in-history unemployment rate and climbing wages.
“The two most powerful words in the English language are: You’re Hired. A job is more than a paycheck. It’s dignity and stability. It means families succeed and kids move up in the world,” Reeves says in the ad. “My job is recruiting new jobs for all the people in Mississippi. More of our people are working in Mississippi than ever before. Mississippi is open for business. It’s Mississippi momentum, and together we can do more.”
The Reeves campaign says the ad will run statewide.
You can watch the new Reeves ad below.
Presley borrows line from national Democrats, says he wants to give families “a little more breathing room”
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Brandon Presley held a press event in Gulfport this week where he talked about what he’s calling his “Cutting Taxes, Creating Jobs” plan. The Presley campaign said his proposals would provide working families “a little more breathing room” as they face higher prices at the grocery store and at the gas pump.
The phrase “a little more breathing room,” or some form of the line, has been an often-used phrase from the Biden Administration repeated by President Joe Biden and his Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
Presley said both the “grocery tax” and car tag fees are taxes that hit working families hard. He is proposing eliminating the sales tax on groceries and cutting the car tag fee in half.
The “grocery tax” is the same sales tax rate – 7% – as Mississippians pay on other purchases in state, basically $7 on a $100 purchase.
As for car tag fees, the Mississippi Department of Revenue shows that registration fees are $12.75 for renewals and $14.00 for first time registrations. All the other taxes and fees are based on the type of vehicle, the value of that vehicle, and where you live – the city and county. Cutting the state car tag fee in half equates to $6.38 for renewals and $7 for first time registrations.
Yet, relying on these two as his first planks of his economic plan, Presley said taking these steps will “unleash Mississippi’s economic potential.”
“The first plank of my ‘Cutting Taxes, Creating Jobs’ plan would eliminate the grocery tax, which is the highest in the country, and cut car tag fees in half,” said Presley. “As the mayor of Nettleton, I cut car tag fees twice. These are taxes that hit Mississippi families in the teeth. It’s time that someone puts working Mississippians ahead of the lobbyists and big corporations and gives future generations of Mississippians a state government that they can be proud of.”
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Magnolia Tribune will bring you more happenings from the Mississippi campaign trail throughout the 2023 election cycle. Be sure and check back often for more updates.
Frank Corder
