Reeves says elections have consequences, who Mississippi elects as its next governor matters

• Governor Tate Reeves told the crowd at the Neshoba County Fair Thursday that Mississippi has too much momentum to lose, urging voters to elect a conservative candidate to be the next governor who will continue to build on the good things happening in the Magnolia State.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves (R) took the stage on Founders Square Thursday to implore the crowd at the Neshoba County Fair to vet the candidates who will be running to succeed him next year because “elections have consequences.” He said conservative policymaking and implementation is working to make the Magnolia State better.

Reeves, who is term limited, has just over a year left in office. While he says he and his staff are not slowing down, the governor voiced concern about who will be Mississippi’s next chief executive.

“The most immediate, and the most obvious, thing that’s next for Mississippi is a round of state elections. What happens during next year’s statewide elections will have a massive impact on the future of this state that we all love,” Reeves said. “Now, I know what some folks are thinking, ‘Governor, surely it can’t be that serious.’ Well, let me tell you – it really is that serious.”

The open seat is expected to draw heavy interest on the Republican side. Two candidates are already in the mix – Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson and former Speaker Philip Gunn. Other GOP candidates are said to be weighing their options, including Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann, Attorney General Lynn Fitch, State Auditor Shad White, and billionaire businessman Tommy Duff.

On the Democrat side, former Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley is the name most mentioned as the party’s likely standard-bearer. Presley ran for governor in 2023, losing to Reeves by three percentage points in a race that was closer than many pundits believed it would be.

Governor Reeves urged voters to look beyond slick television ads, campaign slogans, or “who can nail their sign highest on a pole,” a common display at the Neshoba County Fair.

“Elections are about choices. And we all need to remember – choices have consequences,” Reeves said. “Elections determine whether a state moves forward or falls backward. Elections determine whether we protect taxpayers or grow government. Elections determine whether parents or bureaucrats control a child’s education. And they determine whether we win the jobs of the next 50 years or we sit on the sidelines and let other states take them from us.”

“Make no mistake,” the governor added, “Mississippi has too much momentum to lose.”

For now, Reeves is keeping his powder dry on who he will support in next year’s election, but the governor emphasized a few qualities he is looking for in a candidate.

Reeves wants the next governor to build on what he has helped build over the last eight years. He touted over $85 billion in new private sector investment in Mississippi, the state being ranked number two nationally for growth in job openings since 2020 with hiring demand up nearly 20%, the education gains that has rewritten the state’s reputation across America, phasing out the individual income tax, and the push to transform and strengthen healthcare in rural communities.

The governor specifically noted his steady opposition to Medicaid expansion, something his hopes his successor will also push back on.

“The next governor could cave and put Mississippi taxpayers on the hook for billions in new government spending. We can’t let that happen,” Reeves told fairgoers. “Now, y’all know me. Over the last 20 years, I have made it no secret where I stand on this issue. And I have always done everything I could to keep the wolves at bay when it came to expanding the welfare state, in our state. But let me tell you this: There are always foxes in the henhouse looking for ways to expand welfare.”

Reeves implored the crowd to pick a gubernatorial candidate who will not seek to build the state budget around “Washington’s false promises and failed policies,” saying that is not conservative, it is not responsible, and it is not the Mississippi way.

“I’m asking the next governor to stay strong on this issue and preserve the prosperity of our state,” he said.

As for education, Reeves promoted the need for giving parents more choices and more control over their child’s education. 

“Because the Mississippi Miracle should not just be sustained – it should be expanded. And I know that if the next governor believes that conservative policies work, then that is exactly what will happen. I know that in 10 years, history will once again prove us right,” he said.

When asked if education freedom legislation like that was proposed by the House of Representatives in the 2026 session would be on the table a special session later this year, Reeves did not rule it out.

The governor pushed back on critics of data centers, saying in next year’s election, many will undoubtedly criticize the projects he says are helping Mississippi secure America’s future.

“You are going to hear folks who have never created a job in their lives tell you that the jobs of tomorrow are not worth fighting for today. They will dress it up in fancy language. They will claim they are looking out for you. But at the end of the day, their message translates into this: slow down, stop building, and let somebody else win,” the governor said. “Well, let me be clear. If Mississippi does not help build the future, someone else will. And when it comes to the technology that will shape the next century, the choice is not whether that future gets built. It is where it gets built.”

Reeves said the future can be built in Mississippi.

“I hope the next governor agrees,” he continued.

The Republican governor also took on social politics, pressing his successor to uphold traditional values.

“Mississippi still believes in faith, family, and personal responsibility,” Reeves said to applause. “We still believe that boys are boys and girls are girls. Mississippi still believes police officers deserve respect and that our veterans are heroes. And, above all, we believe America is still the greatest nation in the history of the world.”

He went on to say, “If the next governor forgets that, then we will lose something more important than policy fights. We will lose the soul of our state and the state of our country. Again, choices have consequences and what comes next matters.”