Watson running for Lt. Governor

• Secretary of State Michael Watson’s statewide name ID and his $2.5 million cash on hand make him the immediate frontrunner for the seat.

Two-term Secretary of State Michael Watson (R) walked into the Hilton Garden Inn in Pascagoula Tuesday morning and announced he is running for Lieutenant Governor in the 2027 statewide elections. Applause and cheers arose from the hometown crowd filled with family, friends, local government officials and media.

It was the first stop on an 11-city state tour over the next three days for Watson and his campaign team. Other stops include Gulfport, Hattiesburg and Jackson on Tuesday, followed by Meridian, Starkville, Tupelo and Oxford on Wednesday and Olive Branch, Cleveland, and Brookhaven on Thursday.

Watson’s announcement has been months, even years, in the making, and was perhaps the worst kept secret in Capitol circles. His statewide name ID and his $2.5 million cash on hand make him the immediate frontrunner for the seat.

“In everything I’ve done as a public servant, I’ve focused on this question – where can I do the most good for Mississippi,” Watson said, flanked by his wife and three daughters. “I’ve looked for ways to help our state grow, and I’ve always put my faith, family and conservative principles at the forefront of every decision. So today, I’m announcing my campaign to be Mississippi’s next Lt. Governor.”

In 2019, Watson became the first person from the Coast to win a statewide election in nearly 20 years. Prior to that, he served three terms in the Mississippi Senate, with his signature legislative achievements coming early in his political career as the author of the state’s E-Verify law and the Fetal Protection Act which strengthened penalties for injuring an unborn child.

Watson credited former Governor Phil Bryant (R) for encouraging him to run for Secretary of State after serving the Senate. Bryant was included in an ad for Watson’s newly launched campaign (shown below) speaking highly of the candidate.

“The reason Michael is going to do a great job as Lt. Governor is he has that ability not only to work with people, to bring people together across party lines, he is a great listener,” Bryant said. “I’m also very proud to know that he’s stepping up in that leadership role. We need him there.”

Pascagoula-native NFL referee Sarah Bailey Thomas, the first female pro football referee, was also featured on the campaign ad, saying Watson hasn’t “wavered from his Christian views.”

“I would absolutely be proud to have Michael Watson as our Lt. Governor,” she said.

On Tuesday, Watson touted his conservative bona fides, telling the crowd that his record in the Senate and as Secretary of State proves he is a conservative fighter who strives to work for all of Mississippi. He said he has a record to back up what he says.

“I’ve never backed down from taking on tough issues nor having hard conversations. Most importantly, my conservative beliefs haven’t just been talking points, my actions have matched my words,” Watson said.

Citing the need for Mississippi to continue its work on ensuring education, energy policies, the state budget, business regulations and economic development initiatives, Watson said of his vision for the Lt. Governor’s office that “there’s a lot of work to do.” 

Watson appears to have a good working relationship with Trump White House as well, telling the crowd of his time serving at the behest of the administration leading a working group of Secretaries of State to strengthen election integrity at the state level.

“They trusted me, appreciated the policies Mississippi has implemented, and believed they could serve as a model for other states,” he said.

Watson is the first candidate to officially throw his hat into the ring for Lt. Governor, though there is speculation that State Senator Briggs Hopson, the Senate Appropriations Committee chairman, has been weighing a run.

Current Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann (R), a former three-term Secretary of State, is term limited and will not be seeking re-election to the office in 2027.

You can watch Watson’s campaign preview ad announcing his Lt. Governor run below.