Gipson, Watson stump for higher office at Neshoba

• Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson and Secretary of State Michael Watson have announced runs for Governor and Lt. Governor, respectively, in next year’s statewide elections. Both reminded voters of their record on Thursday at Founders Square and looked ahead to their campaigns.

Two statewide elected officials seeking higher office next year were on the stump at the Neshoba County Fair on Thursday.

Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson (R) and Secretary of State Michael Watson (R), both in their second terms, have announced that they will run for Governor and Lt. Governor, respectively, in the 2027 Mississippi statewide elections.

Gipson took the stage at Founders Square to robust applause from supporters. He said last year he threw his hat in the ring for governor and this year he wanted to talk about his heart for Mississippi.

With Bible in hand, Gipson said he was the only candidate who will run for governor next year that has experience as a public sector executive, in the private sector and “every Sunday preaching God’s Word.”

“God has blessed America, He’s blessed Mississippi and He’s blessed me. I’ve lived the American dream, and I’m proof that any child can live the American dream right here in Mississippi,” said Commissioner Gipson. “As we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, we need to get back to the unchanging roots of our American freedom.”

Gipson highlighted two specific issues he wanted to address as governor: America’s over-dependence on foreign food and the public safety crisis of juvenile crime in Mississippi.

He said he is already working to tackle the state’s food security issue as Agriculture Commissioner with the expansion of farmer’s markets around Mississippi. Gipson wants the state to support local food processing and warehousing, cold storage, wholesale distribution and retail to rebuild and strengthen our local food supply infrastructure.

“Food security is national security,” Gipson told the crowd.

He went on to say that Mississippi must build a state juvenile facility to house and rehabilitate dangerous youth.

“Our people are living in fear with the rampant juvenile crime plaguing our land. We must declare war now on the rise of violent crime committed by youth in Mississippi,” said Gipson. “These dangerous youth need to be identified, held accountable, removed from our schools and communities, and incarcerated and educated in a proper, juvenile facility. They must earn their way out by attaining an educational diploma or a skill to guarantee they get a job and become productive citizens.”

Gipson emphasized that it is the state’s responsibility to make sure Mississippi families have access “to good, healthy, local, nutritious and affordable food while ensuring our communities remain safe for future generations.”

“By holding fast to our principles, investing in our local food supply and addressing violent juvenile crime, we can build a stronger, safer Mississippi for our children and grandchildren,” Gipson added.

Secretary Watson followed Gipson under the pavilion. In his current role as Secretary of State, he oversees much of Mississippi’s election process.

“The work we’ve done over the last few years is really important. We started with a culture of open communication going to all 82 counties listening to our circuit clerks, our election commissioners, asking, ‘How do I serve you better as Secretary of State? How can I make your job easier to make a better Mississippi?'” Watson said.

He said having those relationships helps as his office focuses on election integrity and ballot security.

Watson touted his office’s effort to ensure only U.S. citizens are voting in Mississippi elections.

“If you remember, we talked about that in 2019 when nobody else was talking about it,” he said. “I saw an election in San Fransico where non-citizens were allowed to vote in elections. I said, ‘ You know what? They’re crazy over there and they are. But how many times do we see that matriculate across the country.”

The Secretary also promoted the passage of the SHIELD Act this year, legislation that mandates the use of the national Systematic Alien and Verification Entitlements (SAVE) database to ensure U.S. citizenship when a person is not in the Department of Public Safety’s system or if they have “checked themselves” as a non-resident. Watson said every effort should be made to ensure citizens have confidence in their elections.

As for his run for LT. Governor, Watson, a former state Senator, told the Neshoba fairgoers that when he looks at the leadership in the Legislature today, he sees “individuals who don’t really talk to each other.”

“Much less sit down and chart a bold path forward for this state,” Watson added. “I don’t care what industry you’re in, you’ve got to take people from different perspectives, different backgrounds, different plans, different desires and you sit down and talk about them as adults. You make plans for Mississippi to move forward, and I don’t see that right now.”

“Let me tell you this, when I’m your next Lt. Governor, it’s going to happen,” Watson said.

He said talking to leaders in both chambers and in the governor’s office is important. Watson also said talking to the people in their hometowns matters, which is why he is embarking on a “kitchen table tour” across Mississippi to ask voters what matters to them.

As of now, Watson is the only candidate to announce a run for Lt. Governor. State Senator Briggs Hopson (R) has been mentioned as someone who may run for the office next year in the GOP primary, but no announcement has been made.

In the governor’s race, Gipson has been joined by former Speaker Philip Gunn (R) on the campaign trail. The two are likely to have a handful more join them over the coming months, as Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann (R), State Auditor Shad White, Attorney General Lynn Fitch (R) and billionaire businessman Tommy Duff are all said to be considering a gubernatorial run.

No Democrats have announced for either office at this point, but it is widely believed that former Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2023, may give it another go in 2027.