Campaign finance reports make it pretty clear that a lot of prominent Mississippi Republicans will seek statewide office in 2027.
The Magnolia Tribune website recently produced a list of 2024 contributions and cash on hand for the eight statewide officeholders. Even though the 2027 qualifying deadline is almost exactly two years away, plenty of elected officials are already stockpiling money.
The finance reports provide one more signal that the Republican governor’s primary is likely to be one of the most hard-hitting campaigns in Mississippi history. Unless someone has a change of heart, the money says three statewide incumbents, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, Attorney General Lynn Fitch and State Auditor Shad White, will run to succeed Gov. Tate Reeves, who cannot seek a third term.
Add Tommy Duff, one of Mississippi’s wealthiest residents and a longtime Republican donor, into that list as a wild card who has never held elected office, and the 2027 GOP primary would offer an embarrassment of riches.
Measuring by the dollars, White has nearly $3 million on hand, the most of any incumbent. Fitch, who was treasurer before moving up to attorney general, has $2.5 million. Hosemann, with three terms as secretary of state under his belt before winning two elections for his current office, trails them with $1.6 million in cash. (Duff does not have to report any contributions or cash, as he does not hold public office. But since he’s a billionaire, it’s reasonable to assume that campaign cash will not be a problem.)
It’s also clear that all three candidates are working hard to raise money. Hosemann received $1.5 million in contributions last year, while Fitch took in nearly $1.3 million and White $1.1 million. They have two more years to build up their war chests.
Some other statewide races will be just as interesting if Hosemann, Fitch and White all run for governor. Hosemann cannot run for a third term as lieutenant governor, so his job was certain to be open. But so may the attorney general and auditor posts.
The Tribune said two-term Secretary of State Michael Watson “is all but running for a higher office,” which if accurate would point him toward the lieutenant governor’s race. His campaign finance report agrees with that projection: Watson received $651,000 in contributions in 2024 and has $1.5 million in cash.
Two state senators, Joel Carter and Jeff Tate, already have said they will run for Watson’s secretary of state job in 2027. But assuming Fitch and White stick to their plans, there is likely to be quite a battle for those seats, and for very good reason.
Recent history has shown that candidates like Phil Bryant and Reeves have fared well by patiently climbing the ladder to the Governor’s Mansion. One of the next term’s statewide officeholders could be the next decade’s governor.
