The 2024 Presidential Election is in full swing. I was just recently visiting Iowa, the state where I lived for the first eighteen years of my life and home of the nation’s first caucus. Every other TV commercial is a political ad at this point already. However, there are three intriguing gubernatorial races this November in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Kentucky. In my opinion, Mississippi should be the most interesting to watch from a distance. Brandon Presley is the Democratic nominee challenging first term governor Tate Reeves. You might recall Mississippi being home to one of America’s greatest icons with the same name?
Yes, Elvis Presley was a native of Tupelo, MS and a distant cousin of Brandon Presley (their grandfathers were brothers). Similar to how Elvis rubbed shoulders with America’s status quo of the 1950s and 60s, Brandon Presley is looking to rub shoulders with the status quo of Mississippi politics in a slightly less flashy fashion.
Mississippi has not elected a Democratic governor for nearly 25 years. Donald Trump won the state by approximately 16 points in 2020. A normal Mississippi gubernatorial election would not be a contest. However, the situation is unique this year. Incumbent governor Tate Reeves is unpopular due to his handling of the Jackson water crisis, failing to expand Medicaid, rural hospital closures, and the state’s largest welfare corruption scandal. These make Tate Reeves a vulnerable candidate despite being a Republican in deep red Mississippi.
Unlike his cousin on stage, Brandon Presley is not running a flashy campaign. He has committed to visiting all 82 counties and holding a town hall in each one. He prefers small settings where it is easier to hear directly from voters about issues they face. When he does large events, he often discusses kitchen table issues such as healthcare, education, and broadband access
I am interested to see this race unfold. From what I’ve seen so far, Tate Reeves is scared. His last line of defense has been to paint Presley as an out of touch liberal being funded by large donors from California and New York. However, Presley’s record has shown to be quite unique for a Democrat. He endorsed George Bush for reelection in 2004, calls himself pro-life, and has described himself as pro second amendment. His record speaks for itself. The major national Democrats do not share these views, and they are vilified in red states like Mississippi. If Tate Reeves can link Presley to big Democrats like Biden, Pelosi, and AOC, he will probably win reelection despite being unpopular. If Mississippi residents look to the issues, Brandon Presley is the best choice to be the next governor of the Magnolia State.
The Big Picture
I see a lot of parallels between the Mississippi governor race between my life as a young professional and soon-to-be college graduate. Most Mississippians tend to have conservative leanings. However, there are a few key issues that the Republican Party and Tate Reeves have botched. This has provided a lane for Presley. If he can capitalize on these issues, he can become governor. In my job search, I always look at the qualifications in the job description first for some reason. One of the key ones I almost always see is something like, “Must have 3 years experience in field.” One of my favorite professors told our class that the status quo brings problems they don’t know exist yet. I always keep that in mind during my interviews with employers. My current background allows me to tackle problems other candidates are not qualified to do. I plan to leverage myself in this way going forward, and I hope Brandon Presley is the next governor of Mississippi. We need more common sense leaders in politics who are pragmatic yet dynamic.