(ConservativeFreePress.com) – Political pundits and the electorate had their gaze fixed on the Mississippi gubernatorial election, where Republican incumbent Governor Tate Reeves strove to secure another term in office against the Democrat Brandon Presley. Despite Mississippi’s tendency to lean Republican, and with all statewide positions and the legislative majority held by his party, Governor Reeves discovered his expected edge was somewhat diminished in reality.
Glenn Antizzo, a professor of political science at Mississippi College, believed that Governor Reeves should have had an easy path to victory. However, Reeves found himself ahead by only a slender five percent margin. Prior to his 2019 gubernatorial election, Reeves had completed two terms as the state treasurer and two as lieutenant governor. He had also secured an endorsement from former President Donald Trump the previous week.
Brandon Presley, serving as the state’s Public Service Commissioner and the Democratic contender, had advocated for Medicaid expansion. He campaigned as a Democrat in favor of tax reductions and endeavored to resonate with the electorate by recounting his upbringing by a single mother after the tragic murder of his father.
The Democratic Party had not seen one of its own in the Mississippi governor’s seat since 1999, yet Presley’s campaign was robust, with nearly $6 million in contributions from the Democratic Governors Association.
There was a third and independent candidate, Gwendolyn Gray, whose candidacy was brief due to minimal support, leading her to endorse Presley. Despite her withdrawal from the race, her name remained on the ballot, having exited beyond the deadline for removal.
In the end, Governor Reeves managed to secure the victory.
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