Freshman Hughes could try to run statewide despite odds
Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, saw Rep. Jay Hughes D-Oxford, at the end of a recent session of the Mississippi House and warned him that he has heard a reporter is doing a story on him.
Speculation is that Hughes, an Oxford attorney/real estate developer, is vying to be in position where he and Gunn would be on a more level playing field, politically speaking.
The not-so-secret talk in the Capitol is that Hughes is planning to run in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor in 2019.
Hughes, 54, acknowledges that if he does run for lieutenant governor or another statewide office he will face difficult obstacles. For instance, likely Republican candidates, such as Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, have more name recognition because of previous statewide campaigns. And it is possible that other, better known, candidates would run in the Democratic primary against Hughes.
While Hughes will not confirm he is running for lieutenant governor, he already is taking steps to overcome his lack of name identification. He is active on social media, commenting on various issues.
Daily Journal
1/9/2018
Sarah Ulmer
