Whitney Lipscomb announces her candidacy for Secretary of State (Photo from Lipscomb campaign)
- Magnolia Tribune visits with former Deputy AG Whitney Lipscomb as she joins Shuwaski Young in the open seat race to succeed two-term Secretary of State Michael Watson.
Then there were two.
Whitney Lipscomb, a Republican, announced Thursday that she is running for Mississippi Secretary of State in the 2027 election cycle, which officially gets underway in two months.
“I’ve spent my career fighting for our conservative values and getting things done, and now I’m ready to bring that experience to the Secretary of State’s Office by protecting the integrity of our elections, making it easier to start and grow a business, and ensuring Mississippi remains a place where families can thrive,” she said.
Lipscomb joins former Democrat-turned-Republican Shuwaski Young in the open seat race to succeed two-term Secretary of State Michael Watson, also a Republican. Watson is running for Lieutenant Governor next year.
No Democrat candidates have emerged as of yet. However, sources say that is likely to change in the weeks ahead.
Lipscomb made her announcement Thursday evening at the Mississippi Republican Party headquarters in Jackson, a move that drew criticism from Young who called it “an inappropriate use of a space” while saying the timing “raises serious questions about the political judgment and priorities of our party leadership.”
“At a time when Mississippi Republicans should be laser-focused on the status of our U.S. Senate race,
ensuring every legal ballot is properly counted, and communicating a clear message to voters, our party
headquarters was being used as a platform to launch an individual candidate’s campaign,” Young said.
Her Background
Lipscomb is a Gulfport native who now resides in Ridgeland with her husband, Hunter, and two children. She said public service has always been her passion.
“And while this is my first time to run for office, these are not my first fights,” she emphasized.
She is a former Deputy Attorney General under Lynn Fitch, a two-term Republican who is running for Governor in 2027. In that position, Lipscomb oversaw the Civil, Solicitor General, and Opinions and Policy Divisions, while providing strategic counsel on litigation and legislative matters that impact the state and nation. She also represented the Attorney General on the State Board of Election Commissioners.
“I helped completely reshape an agency to better serve the needs of the people and led on the Dobbs case to overturn Roe v. Wade,” Lipscomb said. “I’ve worked tirelessly to deliver for the people of the state on important issues like education, religious liberty, Second Amendment rights, the protection of life, and economic opportunity, including conceiving the idea to make it easier for Mississippians to earn a living by reforming occupational licensing, with the creation of the Occupational Licensure Review Commission.”
Lipscomb also previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff for former Republican Governor Phil Bryant.
She left the Attorney General’s office in June 2025 to assume the role as general counsel for the Republican Attorneys General Association as well as lead the Rule of Law Defense Fund. The Republican Attorneys General Association helps elect and re-elect Republican attorneys general nationally with a goal of promoting and protecting the Constitution, freedom, and opportunity for future generations.
“I’ve spent my career behind the scenes, fighting for Mississippi, defending our values, and getting things done—not because it was easy or always popular, but because I believed it was the right thing to do and would make our state better,” she said.
A summa cum laude graduate of Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi School of Law, Lipscomb began her legal career in private practice with then-Secretary of State, no Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann (R) as one of her first clients litigating tidelands cases, an area that resides under the purview of the Secretary of State’s office.
Why Secretary of State?
Given her background at the Attorney General’s office and her work with their national association, some onlookers may be wondering why she does not run to succeed Fitch.
Yet, she says her experience lends itself to the Secretary of State’s office, having worked to address gaps in state election law and push back on federal overreach from the Biden Administration.
“I love Mississippi and I am more convinced now than ever that Mississippi needs leaders with unwavering conservative convictions, a deep desire to make a difference, and the ability to get things done,” Lipscomb told Magnolia Tribune. “I’m running to protect the foundation of our democracy, our elections, expand opportunity, and deliver real results for Mississippi families, because I want our children to grow up in a state that is stronger and more prosperous than the one we inherited.”
Notably, Lipscomb wrote and helped lead a coalition to pass the Safeguard Honest Integrity in Elections for Lasting Democracy (SHIELD) Act, legislation aimed at ensuring only American citizens are voting in our elections. It was passed by the Legislature this year and signed into law by Governor Tate Reeves (R).
Democrats in the Mississippi Legislature opposed the measure, calling it “a poll tax by another name.”
“Republicans aren’t solving a problem, they’re creating one on purpose. There is no voter fraud crisis in Mississippi. There is a participation crisis, and instead of addressing it, they have made it worse,” said Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman and State Rep. Cheikh Taylor. “The SHIELD Act is a poll tax dressed up in modern language, and Mississippi Democrats will fight it with everything we have.”
Primary Field
Lipscomb’s entry into the Secretary of State race is her first run for public office. Her Republican Primary opponent, however, has a history of campaigning in Mississippi.
Young ran unsuccessfully for Congress as the Democrat nominee in the 3rd District against Republican incumbent Congressman Michael Guest in 2022. He then entered the race for Secretary of State, running unopposed to win the Democratic nomination in 2023, but he withdrew from that race after the primary, citing health concerns.
READ MORE: Young touts experience, values in campaign for Mississippi’s next Secretary of State
In an interview with Magnolia Tribune in June, Young said, “There was a time where I had some serious health challenges. That’s something that I’ve addressed directly and I’ve learned from it. It’s given me perspective on balance and discipline in my priorities. I’m healthy, I’m active, and I’m fully prepared for the demands of a statewide office because it is grueling.”
Young made headlines in October 2024 when he walked away from the Mississippi Democratic Party, saying at the time that today’s Democratic party is unrecognizable. Since then, Young has become an active member of the Republican Party, now serving on the Neshoba County Republican Executive Committee. He has been traversing the state for nearly a year, meeting voters and trying to make inroads into strong GOP areas as 2027 approaches.
Prior to making her entry into the race official, Lipscomb has also been on the stump around Mississippi, appearing at political rallies and speaking at Republican groups. She was on stage leading the pledge of allegiance at the Corinth get out the vote rally for U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) where President Donald Trump (R) made an appearance prior to the midterm election.
“Earning people’s trust takes work, and nobody owes me their vote,” she said this week. “Mississippians deserve to know who I am, what I believe, and what I’ll do to make their lives better.”
Lipscomb said she will be traveling the state to listen and explain how the Secretary of State’s office affects citizens’ everyday lives.
“This will be a campaign about Mississippi and solutions,” she added.
Conservative Values
As a Christian and lifelong conservative, Lipscomb said she believes in the sanctity of life, religious liberty, limited government, and the Constitution.
“Those convictions will guide how I serve,” she explained. “I’m a Christian, wife, and mother first.”
To her, as Secretary of State, that means enforcing election laws fairly, protecting every lawful vote, and removing unnecessary government barriers to earning a living and providing for your family.
“Conservative principles work, and I intend to put them to work,” she said.
Lipscomb went on to say that she has “fought to protect our constitutional freedoms throughout my career.”
“My conservative values don’t change with election cycles, and I will continue to stand firm for our faith, families, and future,” said the Secretary of State candidate.
The Campaign Ahead
Since Mississippi does not require periodic campaign finance reporting in the lead up to qualifying, the records are limited on both Lipscomb and Young.
Lipscomb filed her campaign’s statement of organization in April and has no finance reports on file with the Secretary of State’s office at this time.
Young did have his campaign up and running in 2025, meaning he filed a finance report in January of this year as required. He $8,700 in contributions and $8,500 in expenses, leaving a $200 cash on hand balance as of December 2025.
While it is still early, Lipscomb knows to be competitive and separate herself by reaching Mississippians with her message, it will take a significant fundraising effort.
“I believe we can raise what it takes to compete and win. I’ll approach fundraising the same way I approach earning votes: make the case, ask for support, and do the work. People deserve to know what they’re investing in,” she said. “With me, it’s proven conservative leadership and a clear plan for this office.”
She believes when voters look at her record of public service, that will spur them to support her over any opponents. From her “unwavering conservative convictions to my passion to make a difference in this state,” and over a decade of experience working with the Secretary of State’s Office, Lipscomb said her track record is one of getting things done for Mississippi families.
“My experience gives me a deep appreciation for how much this office touches everyday lives, but more importantly, the ability to continue delivering for the people of Mississippi,” she noted.
Priorities if Elected
If elected, Lipscomb plans to focus on three main areas.
First, she wants to protect every lawful vote by establishing a dedicated Election Security Division with trained investigators to streamline the process for reporting irregularities and ensure violations of state election laws are taken seriously.
This would presumably be in addition to the current Elections Division in the office that is charged with training elections officials, managing the Statewide Elections Management System, collecting campaign finance and lobbying reports, displaying election returns, assisting local election officials in carrying out their election related responsibilities, and answering voter’s questions about the elections process.
Second, Lipscomb wants to make Mississippi an easier place to start and grow a business by cutting unnecessary red tape and modernizing technology. During his time as Secretary of State, Watson has promoted the ‘Tackle the Tape’ initiative to undertake a similar task.
Lastly, Lipscomb said her third priority would be to waive Secretary of State business filing fees for qualifying veterans and service members.
“Those who have defended our freedoms deserve the opportunity to build something for their families here at home,” she said.
Young Family
Lipscomb is a wife and mother of two. Her husband is also no stranger to the Mississippi politics, previously serving as Chief of Staff to former Republican Congressman Steven Palazzo before entering the private sector.
“My husband, Hunter and I are a team in everything we do,” she said. “We’ve been together over half of my life and our family, like every other family, has gone through tough things, and this is just another one of them.”
She pointed to when her husband answered the call of service when he joined the National Guard.
“We’ve gone through out-of-state trainings and a deployment, as well as public service jobs that required extensive travel,” she said. “God has given us a peace about this journey, and no matter what my family will always come first. My kids are my why and I am proud they will grow up seeing what serving others means.”
Lipscomb further said she did not enter this new journey lightly.
“Over the past year, along with a lot of prayer, I’ve spent time talking with people from all over the state about what they want to see in the next generation of leaders, and the response to me running has been overwhelmingly positive,” she said. “And while I’m grateful for the encouragement and the people willing to join us at the beginning of this journey, I know that I am going to continue to work hard, harder than anyone else, run every mile of this state, and meet people where they are and earn their vote.”
As Lipscomb views it, her campaign is an opportunity to listen.
“What concerns people? How can this office serve them better?” she asked, adding, “I want to have those conversations all across Mississippi.”
