Tate Reeves wins reelection as governor with Bend Not Break technique in Mississippi

After some of the aggressive campaigns this deep pink state has seen in a long time, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) has gained a second time period.

Whereas the race had not been formally referred to as late Tuesday evening, Democratic challenger Brandon Pressley took the stage to ship a concession speech in Jackson, congratulating his opponent.

“This marketing campaign has highlighted severe points in Mississippi, and that is larger than one man,” Pressley mentioned. He said. “We ran a marketing campaign that was going to bind our state collectively. “Tonight ends a marketing campaign, however it doesn’t finish the journey.”

As of early Wednesday morning, Reeves was main Democratic challenger Brandon Pressley by 52.3 votes. to 45.9, in keeping with New York times.

Together with his victory, Reeves avoids what might have been a shocking and embarrassing upset. Republicans have run the state for 20 years, and Reeves’ two predecessors — Phil Bryant and Haley Barbour — simply gained reelection.

The race was hotly contested by each events, not due to any main political shifts in Mississippi, however due to Reeves’ weak point as an incumbent and Pressley’s benefits.

Reeves was elected by simply 5 factors in 2019, and is a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump. His administration of the Covid pandemic has drawn nationwide consideration as a result of it has led to one of many highest demise charges from the virus and the bottom vaccination charges. Reeves as soon as mentioned his constituents had been much less afraid to struggle the coronavirus due to their perception in an afterlife.

Nonetheless, in 2023, the most important downside Reeves has confronted is a corruption scandal — the biggest in Mississippi historical past — that has concerned $77 million in misspent state welfare funds, since he was lieutenant governor. The fallout ensnared a number of individuals, together with the state’s human providers director, who pleaded responsible to legal fees.

Presley, Elvis Presley’s cousin, serves as a member of the state Public Service Fee, which regulates utilities. A conservative Democrat who opposes abortion, Pressley ran a marketing campaign centered squarely on corruption and ethics, arguing that Reeves was compromised by the sprawling welfare scandal. He additionally pledged to scale back the state’s excessive grocery gross sales tax and develop Medicaid to incorporate low-income individuals.

The Democratic Governors Affiliation, the social gathering’s official arm for gubernatorial races, invested closely in Pressley’s marketing campaign, spending greater than $5 million to help his marketing campaign. A key component of their technique was mobilizing black voters, who make up a few third of the state’s inhabitants.

Reeves exploited the DGA’s exterior funding to color Pressley as a device for out-of-state liberals, whereas touting his affiliation with Trump. The previous president formally endorsed Reeves’ re-election per week earlier than Election Day, and held a phone rally for him within the remaining days of the marketing campaign.