Shad White with his children after returning home from National Guard deployment, September 2026 (Photo from White's Facebook page)
- Auditor White, a Republican, has publicly said he is considering a run for governor in 2027 but would not be making an announcement on his political future until later this year.
Mississippi State Auditor Shad White recently returned home from a four-month deployment with the National Guard in the Middle East in support of Operation Epic Fury, the ongoing U.S. conflict with Iran.
White, a Captain in the National Guard, is a JAG officer that advises the special operations detachment commander on legal questions pertaining to the unit’s mission at hand.
From mid-May until mid-September, White’s Chief of Staff, Charles Woods, handled the day-to-day operations of the Auditor’s office while White was deployed in Saudi Arabia. Jacob Walters, Communications Director for the State Auditor, said the two remained in constant contact during the deployment to ensure the office carried on as usual.
“All National Guardsmen have to balance their professional life with their duties in the Guard,” Walters told Magnolia Tribune. “Shad is no different. Luckily, thanks to modern day technology, Shad was still able to communicate with all of the directors at the Auditor’s Office and keep the office on track with our investigations and audits.”
Walters said White’s day was coming to an end while the Auditor’s office staff’s days were beginning, “so the timing worked perfectly for us to have routine check-ins.”
In a Facebook post last week, White said he was grateful to be back in Mississippi.
“Getting home the week after the 25th anniversary of 9/11 was a reminder of how many other service members have not come home over the past 25 years,” White said. “Please continue to pray for the unit that replaced us and all the members of the military still in harm’s way.”
Auditor White, a Republican, has publicly said he is considering a run for governor in 2027 but would not be making an announcement on his political future until later this year. White has also recently said he would run for governor or not run at all next election cycle.
White’s January 2026 campaign finance report showed him with $3.8 million, a significant balance that puts him atop the fundraising board of the announced GOP gubernatorial candidates to date, which includes Attorney General Lynn Fitch, former Speaker Philip Gunn, and Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson.
For now, Walters said White remains “laser-focused” on continuing his duties as State Auditor and uncovering waste, fraud, and abuse throughout state government.
“We also have reports expected to be released soon that continues to examine nonprofits that receive taxpayer funds misspending the money or just outright wasting it,” Walters said. “Shad also will continue advocating for the state to redraw our district lines so we have race-neutral districts and we can finally get Bennie Thompson out of Congress.”
In addition, the Technical Assistance division in the Auditor’s office is holding trainings around the state to train local elected officials on best budgeting practices and what they can and can’t do with tax dollars.
“We have these trainings all over the state and post YouTube videos of the trainings to our page for anyone to view if they can’t make it in person,” Walters added.
