2019 Mississippi gubernatorial election

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See also: 2019 Mississippi elections and 2019 United States gubernatorial elections
2019 Mississippi gubernatorial election
Flag of Mississippi (2001–2020).svg
← 2015 November 5, 2019 2023 →
  Tate Reeves 2019 (cropped).jpg Jim Hood 2014 (cropped).jpg
Nominee Tate Reeves Jim Hood
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 459,396 414,368
Percentage 51.9% 46.8%
2019 Mississippi Gubernatorial election.svg
County results
Reeves:      40-50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Hood:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Governor before election

Phil Bryant
Republican

Elected Governor

Tate Reeves
Republican

Elections in Mississippi
Federal government
State government
Ballot measures
City of Jackson
  • v
  • t

The 2019 Mississippi gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 2019, to choose the next Governor of Mississippi.[1] Incumbent Governor Phil Bryant was ineligible to run for a third term due to term limits. The Democratic Party nominated incumbent Attorney General Jim Hood, the only Democrat holding statewide office in Mississippi; the Republican Party nominated incumbent Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves. In the general election, Reeves defeated Hood by a margin of 5.08%, the closest gubernatorial election in Mississippi since 1999.

This is the first time since 1987 that the Democratic candidate has carried Warren and Madison counties in a gubernatorial election.

Background[]

Situated in the Deep South as a Socially conservative Bible Belt state, Mississippi is one of the most Republican states in the country. No Democrat has been elected to the governorship since Ronnie Musgrove in 1999. However, the state's Democratic Attorney General, Jim Hood, who has held his office since 2004 and had yet to lose a statewide election, put the Republican's winning streak of four elections in a row to the test, as the race became unusually competitive. Reeves defeated Hood in the general election by a margin of 5.1%, making this the closest a Democrat had come to winning a Mississippi gubernatorial election since 1999. Hood pulled off the best performance by a Democrat since the 2003 Mississippi gubernatorial election, when fellow Democrat Ronnie Musgrove took 45.81% of the vote.[2] Hood flipped the counties of Chickasaw, Lafayette, Madison, Panola, and Warren, which had all voted for Republican Donald Trump in the 2016 United States presidential election.

Uniquely among the states, the Constitution of Mississippi establishes a sort of Electoral College at the state level, for the election of Governor. Article 5, Section 140 of the state constitution states that each state House district is assigned an electoral vote, and that a candidate running for governor must receive a majority of electoral votes (essentially, they must win a majority of state House districts) in addition to winning a majority of the popular vote in order to be elected governor.[3] Article 5, Section 141 of the state constitution states that if no candidate wins both a popular and electoral vote majority, the state House of Representatives is assigned to decide the winner, choosing from the two highest popular vote winners.[4] This provision came into play only one time in the state's history; Democratic candidate Ronnie Musgrove in the 1999 gubernatorial election garnered a plurality, but not a majority; the House selected Musgrove.[5]

In the lead-up to the election, controversy emerged over these constitutional provisions establishing a state system of electoral votes, with a federal lawsuit claiming the provisions are racially biased.[6] These provisions were put in place with the 1890 Mississippi Constitution, itself established by the segregationist Redeemers and overturning the Reconstruction-era 1868 Constitution, as part of Jim Crow Era policy to minimize the power of African Americans in politics.[6] Because of this, as well as present gerrymandering that packs African Americans into a small number of districts, the plaintiffs claim the provisions should be struck down on the basis of racial bias.[5]

Republican primary[]

Candidates[]

Nominee[]

Eliminated in runoff[]

  • Bill Waller Jr., former Chief Justice of the Mississippi State Supreme Court[11] and son of former Democratic Governor William "Bill" Waller. Sr (1972-1976).

Eliminated in primary[]

Withdrawn[]

Declined[]

  • Thomas Duff, businessman[16]
  • Lynn Fitch, Mississippi State Treasurer (running for Mississippi Attorney General)[17]
  • Gerard Gibert, businessman and lottery board member[10]
  • Philip Gunn, Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives[18]
  • Trent Lott, former U.S. Senator[19][20]
  • Chris McDaniel, Mississippi State Senator and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2014 and 2018 (endorsed Tate Reeves)[21]
  • Mike Randolph, Presiding Justice of the Mississippi State Supreme Court[22]
  • Andy Taggart, former Chief Of Staff to Governor Kirk Fordice (running for Mississippi Attorney General)[23]

Endorsements[]

hide
Tate Reeves
U.S. President
  • Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States[24]
Governors
State Officials
  • Sam Britton, Public Service Commissioner (Southern District)
U.S. Representative
  • Steven Palazzo, (MS-04)
Mayors
  • Mike Smith, Waveland, Mississippi[28]
  • Fofo Gilich, Biloxi, Mississippi[28]
  • Rusty Quave, D'Iberville, Mississippi[28]
  • Dane Maxwell, Pascagoula, Mississippi[28]
  • Chipper McDermott, Pass Christian, Mississippi[28]
  • Hal Marx, Petal, Mississippi
State legislator
  • Chris McDaniel, Mississippi State Senator[29]
Individuals
  • Brett Favre, Super Bowl champion[30]
  • Jake Mangum, professional baseball outfielder[31]
Organizations
hide
Bill Waller Jr.
State legislators
Individuals
  • Dan Fordice, son of former governor Kirk Fordice[37]
  • Billy Powell, former Mississippi Republican Party Chairman[38]
  • Clarke Reed, former Mississippi Republican Party Chairman[38]
  • Michael Retzer, former Mississippi Republican Party Chairman[38]
  • Billy Mounger, former Mississippi Republican Party Chairman[38]

Polling[]

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size[a] 		Margin
of error 		Robert
Foster 		Tate
Reeves 		Bill
Waller Jr. 		Undecided
Mason-Dixon July 24–27, 2019 500 ± 4.5% 13% 41% 31% 15%
Impact Management Group June 10–14, 2019 354 ± 5.3% 9% 50% 19% 28%
Mason-Dixon January 30 – February 1, 2019 400 ± 5.0% 9% 62% – 29%
Hypothetical polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin
of error 		Lynn
Fitch 		Tate
Reeves 		Undecided
JMC Analytics February 15–17, 2018 500 ± 4.4% 12% 21% 67%
Mason-Dixon December 13–15, 2017 400 ± 5.0% 18% 37% 45%

Results[]

Results by county:
Reeves
Waller
Foster
Republican primary results[39]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tate Reeves 187,312 48.9
Republican Bill Waller Jr. 128,010 33.4
Republican Robert Foster 67,758 17.7
Total votes 383,080 100.0

Runoff[]

Republican primary runoff results[40]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tate Reeves 179,623 54.1
Republican Bill Waller Jr. 152,201 45.9
Total votes 331,824 100.0

Democratic primary[]

Candidates[]

Nominee[]

Eliminated in primary[]

  • Michael Brown[43]
  • William Bond Compton Jr., candidate for Governor of Mississippi in 2007 and 2011, candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2014, nominee for the Mississippi House of Representatives in the 83rd district in 2015[43]
  • Robert J. Ray[43]
  • Robert Shuler Smith, Hinds County District Attorney[44]
  • Gregory Wash[43]
  • Velesha Williams, former director for the Metro Jackson Community Prevention Coalition and former U.S. Army officer[45][10]
  • Albert Wilson, businessman and community organizer[46]

Withdrawn[]

  • Phillip West, former state representative and former mayor of Natchez (endorsed Jim Hood)[47]

Declined[]

  • Anthony Witherspoon, mayor of Magnolia[48][10]

Endorsements[]

hide
Jim Hood
U.S. Governors
  • Ray Mabus, former Governor of Mississippi and served as the 75th United States Secretary of the Navy
Local and statewide officials

Polling[]

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size[a] 		Margin
of error 		Jim
Hood 		Robert
Shuler Smith 		Undecided
Triumph Campaigns January 29, 2018 2,145 ± 1.8% 36% 34% 30%
Hypothetical polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size[a] 		Margin
of error 		Jim
Hood 		Chokwe Antar
Lumumba 		Undecided
Triumph Campaigns January 29, 2018 2,145 ± 1.8% 49% 27% 23%

Results[]

Results by county:
Hood
Democratic primary results[49]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jim Hood 208,634 69.0
Democratic Michael Brown 33,247 11.0
Democratic Velesha Williams 20,844 6.9
Democratic Robert Shuler Smith 20,395 6.7
Democratic Robert Ray 5,609 1.8
Democratic William Bond Compton Jr. 5,321 1.8
Democratic Albert Wilson 5,122 1.7
Democratic Gregory Wash 3,218 1.1
Total votes 302,390 100.0

Other candidates[]

Constitution Party[]

Declared

  • Bob Hickingbottom[50]

Independents[]

Declared

  • David Singletary, U.S. Air Force veteran and former hotel owner[51]

General election[]

Predictions[]

Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[52] Lean R October 15, 2019
Inside Elections[53] Lean R November 8, 2019
Sabato's Crystal Ball[54] Lean R November 8, 2019

Debates[]

Dates Location Hood Reeves Link
October 10, 2019 University of Southern Mississippi
Hattiesburg 		Participant Participant [1]
October 14, 2019 WCBI Studios
Columbus 		Participant Participant [2]

Endorsements[]

hide
Tate Reeves (R)
U.S. Executive Branch officials
  • Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States[55][56]
  • Mike Pence, 48th Vice President of the United States[57]
Governors
U.S. Federal officials
  • Cindy Hyde-Smith, U.S. Senator (R-MS)[59]
  • Roger Wicker, U.S. Senator (R-MS)[60]
  • Trent Kelly, U.S. Representative (R-MS)[61]
Mayors
  • Mike Smith, Waveland, Mississippi[28]
  • Fofo Gilich, Biloxi, Mississippi[28]
  • Rusty Quave, D'Iberville, Mississippi[28]
  • Dane Maxwell, Pascagoula, Mississippi[28]
  • Chipper McDermott, Pass Christian, Mississippi[28]
  • Hal Marx, Petal, Mississippi
State legislators
Individuals
  • Brett Favre, Super Bowl champion[30]
  • Jake Mangum, professional baseball outfielder[31]
Organizations
hide
Jim Hood (D)
U.S. Presidents
  • Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States[62]
Statewide officials
  • Ray Mabus, former Governor of Mississippi and 75th United States Secretary of the Navy
  • Mike Moore, former Attorney General of Mississippi
  • John Bel Edwards, Governor of Louisiana[63]
Local officials
  • Stacey Abrams, 2018 Democratic nominee for Governor of Georgia, former Minority Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives[64]
  • Earle S. Banks, Mississippi State Representative
  • Chris Bell, Mississippi State Representative
  • David Blount, Mississippi State Senator
  • Jarvis Dortch, Mississippi State Representative
  • Sollie Norwood, Mississippi State Senator
  • Jason Shelton, Mayor of Tupelo[65]
Organizations
  • Democratic Governors Association[66]
  • Mississippi Association of Educators [67]
Individuals
  • Grey DeLisle, Voice actress and activist[68]

Polling[]

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size[a] 		Margin
of error 		Tate
Reeves (R) 		Jim
Hood (D) 		David
Singletary (I) 		Bob
Hickingbottom (C) 		Undecided
NBC/Survey Monkey October 8–22, 2019 1,002 (RV) ± 4.7% 47% 40% 7% 2% 3%
Targoz Market Research October 13–20, 2019 384 (LV) – 47% 46% – – 7%
Mason-Dixon October 17–19, 2019 625 (LV) ± 4.0% 46% 43% – – 9%
Hickman Analytics October 13–16, 2019 508 (LV) ± 4.4% 42% 46% – – –
Hickman Analytics (D)[A] September 22–26, 2019 500 (LV) ± 4.0% 42% 45% – – –
Hickman Analytics (D)[A] August 11–15, 2019 600 (LV) ± 4.0% 42% 43% – – –
NBC News/SurveyMonkey July 2–16, 2019 1,171 (RV) ± 4.2% 51% 42% – – 6%
Impact Management Group June 10–14, 2019 610 (LV) ± 4.0% 48% 36% 4% – 12%
Hickman Analytics (D)[A] May 5–9, 2019 604 (LV) ± 4.0% 40% 45% – – –
Mason-Dixon January 30 – February 1, 2019 625 (RV) ± 4.0% 42% 44% – – 14%
OnMessage Inc. (R)[B] January 28–30, 2019 600 (RV) ± 3.5% 51% 36% – – 13%
Mason-Dixon April 12–14, 2018 625 (RV) ± 4.0% 39% 44% – – 17%
Chism Strategies/Millsaps College December 15–19, 2017 578 (RV) ± 4.1% 45% 38% – – 18%
Mason-Dixon December 13–15, 2017 625 (RV) ± 4.0% 37% 43% – – 20%

Results[]

Mississippi gubernatorial election, 2019[69]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Tate Reeves 459,396 51.91% -14.47%
Democratic Jim Hood 414,368 46.83% +14.58%
Independent David Singletary 8,522 0.96% N/A
Constitution Bob Hickingbottom 2,625 0.30% N/A
Total votes 884,911 100.00% N/A
Republican hold

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
Partisan clients
  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c Poll sponsored by the Jim Hood campaign
  2. ^ Poll sponsored by the Tate Reeves campaign

References[]

  1. ^ "Mississippi Voter Information Guide" (PDF). State of Mississippi – Secretary of State.
  2. ^ Collins, Sean (2019-11-05). "Republican Tate Reeves wins a surprisingly close race, becoming Mississippi's next governor". Vox. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  3. ^ MS Const. art. V, § 140
  4. ^ MS Const. art. V, § 141.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Wilson, Reid (9 June 2019). "Legal fight over Jim Crow-era law upends Mississippi governor race". The Hill. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b "Black Voters Sue Over Mississippi's Jim Crow-Era Election Law". NPR. 24 September 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves announces he is running for governor". WTVA News.
  8. ^ "GOP's Reeves officially running for Mississippi governor". WAPT. Associated Press. 4 January 2019.
  9. ^ "Hood, Reeves could headline 2019 governor's race". Mississippi Business Journal. Associated Press. June 26, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Pender, Geoff; Ramseth, Luke (December 6, 2018). "List: Who's running for governor, AG and other open seats in Mississippi". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  11. ^ "Former chief justice Waller to run for Mississippi governor". WREG. Associated Press. February 14, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  12. ^ Pittman, Ashton. "Hard-right Conservative 'Farmer Bob' to Announce Run for Governor". www.jacksonfreepress.com. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  13. ^ "GOP rep set to enter 2019 race for Mississippi governor". thestate. Archived from the original on 2018-12-11. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  14. ^ "Marx withdraws from 2019 governor's race". www.hubcityspokes.com.
  15. ^ Beveridge, Lici (May 3, 2018). "Republican Petal Mayor Hal Marx will run for governor in 2019". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
  16. ^ Pender, Geoff; Ramseth, Luke; Bologna, Giacomo (28 January 2019). "Updated: Who's running for governor, AG and other open seats in Mississippi". Clarion Ledger. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  17. ^ "Lynn Fitch to run for attorney general". The Clarion Ledger.
  18. ^ Pender, Geoff. "2019 Right Around Corner on Political Calendars". Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  19. ^ "Trent Lott for governor, 2019?". Clarionledger.com. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
  20. ^ "Trent Lott not ruling out gubernatorial bid". TheHill.com. 10 May 2015. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
  21. ^ Ramseth, Luke (February 28, 2019). "Chris McDaniel announces decision on run for governor". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  22. ^ Crawford, Bill. "Waller, Randolph rumored as potential Reeves challengers". Retrieved September 15, 2017.
  23. ^ Pender, Geoff (March 1, 2019). "Attorney General race gets surprise, high-profile GOP candidate on qualifying deadline". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  24. ^ Trump, Donald J. [@realDonaldTrump] (2019-10-26). "MISSISSIPPI! There is a VERY important election for Governor on November 5th. I need you to get out and VOTE for our Great Republican nominee, @TateReeves. Tate is Strong on Crime, tough on Illegal Immigration, and will protect your Second Amendment..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  25. ^ Jump up to: a b Jackson, Courtney Ann. "Former Governor Haley Barbour among those supporting Tate Reeves in GOP Gubernatorial runoff". WLBT News. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  26. ^ Jump up to: a b "Bryant endorses Tate Reeves for Governor". WJTV. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  27. ^ Jump up to: a b "Reeves wins GOP nod for Mississippi governor". www.politico.com. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  28. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j "Local Mayors Endorse Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves for Governor". WXXV25. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  29. ^ Jump up to: a b Bologna, Giacomo (August 15, 2019). "Once enemies, now allies: Chris McDaniel endorses Tate Reeves for Mississippi governor". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  30. ^ Jump up to: a b Carter, Josh (August 5, 2019). "Mississippi native Brett Favre endorses Tate Reeves for governor". WLBT. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  31. ^ Jump up to: a b Jake Mangum. "@tatereeves for Mississippi Governor!". Twitter.
  32. ^ Jump up to: a b Ulmer, Sarah (June 3, 2019). "Tate Reeves endorsed by Mississippi Manufacturers Association". Yall Politics. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  33. ^ Jump up to: a b Ulmer, Sarah (June 13, 2019). "Americans for Prosperity Action Endorses Tate Reeves for Governor". Yall Politics. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  34. ^ Jump up to: a b "NRA Endorses Tate Reeves for Governor of Mississippi". NRA ILA. July 9, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
  35. ^ Jump up to: a b Ulmer, Sarah (July 22, 2019). "Tate Reeves endorsed by Mississippi Right to Life PAC". Yall Politics. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  36. ^ "Robert Foster endorses Bill Waller ahead of Mississippi governor primary runoff". Clairon-Ledger. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  37. ^ "Gubernatorial hopefuls Reeves and Waller reveal newest endorsements". WXXV25. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  38. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "'I think he's more electable than Tate': Four past GOP chairmen throw support to Waller over Reeves". Mississippi Today. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  39. ^ "2019 Republican". Mississippi Secretary of State. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  40. ^ "2019 Republican Primary Runoff". Mississippi Secretary of State. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  41. ^ "Amid Positive Polls, Jim Hood to Announce Run for Mississippi Governor". Retrieved 2018-10-03.
  42. ^ Lee, Jasmine C. (August 6, 2019). "Mississippi Primary Election Results". The New York Times. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  43. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Mississippi election 2019: Who's running for governor, other state offices". The Clarion Ledger.
  44. ^ "Embattled DA Robert Shuler Smith running for governor". Hattiesburg American. February 23, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  45. ^ Pittman, Ashton (December 3, 2018). "Jackson Woman Joins Dem Race for Governor; State Rep Exploring GOP Race". Jackson Free Press. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  46. ^ Huffman, Sam (11 January 2019). "Albert Wilson announces campaign for governor". WJTV.
  47. ^ "Democrat leaves Mississippi governor's race". WTOK. Associated Press. May 31, 2019. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  48. ^ Ulmer, Sarah (December 3, 2018). "Is the Democratic mayor of Magnolia considering a challenge of Jim Hood in Governor's race?". Y'all Politics. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  49. ^ "2019 Democratic Primary". Mississippi Secretary of State. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  50. ^ "Bill Crawford — Can lesser knowns keep favored candidates from saving us?". 7 April 2019.
  51. ^ Ramseth, Luke (May 2, 2019). "He sings karaoke and wears a marijuana suit. He wants to be the next Mississippi governor". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  52. ^ "2020 Governor Race ratings". The Cook Political Report.
  53. ^ "Gubernatorial Ratings | Inside Elections". www.insideelections.com.
  54. ^ "Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball » 2020 Governor". crystalball.centerforpolitics.org.
  55. ^ Donald J. Trump. "Donald J. Trump on Twitter". Twitter.
  56. ^ Donald J. Trump. "Donald J. Trump on Twitter". Twitter.
  57. ^ Mike Pence. "Mike Pence on Twitter". Twitter.
  58. ^ Ramseth, Luke. "Jeb Bush headed to North Mississippi for Tate Reeves fundraiser". The Clarion Ledger. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  59. ^ Cindy Hyde-Smith. "Cindy Hyde-Smith on Twitter". Twitter.
  60. ^ Roger Wicker. "Roger Wicker on Twitter". Twitter.
  61. ^ Reeves, Tate (August 22, 2019). "This race is about conservative values—keeping more of your hard-earned money to provide for your family. I am the only true conservative running for Gov, and the people of DeSoto Co know it. I am honored to have the support of Bruce Prewett, @RepTrentKelly, and so many in NW MS!". Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  62. ^ Bedillion, Caleb. "Barack Obama throws support to Jim Hood on election eve". Daily Journal.
  63. ^ skarlin@theadvocate.com, Sam Karlin. "Gov. Edwards to attend fundraiser for another Deep South anti-abortion Democrat, Jim Hood". The Advocate. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  64. ^ "Stacey Abrams passes on 2020 run, turns focus to voter access with Fair Fight". The Washington Times. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  65. ^ "Jason Shelton: Mayor endorses Jim Hood for governor". Daily Journal. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  66. ^ "DGA Statement On Jim Hood's Primary Victory In Mississippi". Democratic Governors Association. August 7, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  67. ^ "Mississippi Association of Educators endorses Jim Hood for governor". 24 September 2019.
  68. ^ DeLisle, Grey (November 5, 2019). "#Beshear in #Kentucky and #Hood in #Mississippi #VoteBlueToSaveAmerica". Twitter.
  69. ^ "2019 General Election". Mississippi Secretary of State. Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2019.

External links[]

Official campaign websites

Retrieved from ""