I suppose the reporters and politicians can’t help themselves. Still, it seems awfully early to be talking about the 2027 gubernatorial election in Mississippi. The 2023 contest was just completed nine months ago.
Still, speculation about which Republicans will be running to replace Gov. Tate Reeves, who is term-limited, was the big story out of what was otherwise an unexciting two days of political speeches at the Neshoba County Fair.
State Auditor Shad White said he’s seriously considering seeking the promotion after serving in his current job since 2018.
Agriculture Commissioner and Baptist minister Andy Gipson says he’s praying about it.
Thomas Duff, the Hattiesburg billionaire who is best known for bankrolling GOP candidates rather than being one himself, is probably doing more than thinking about the governor’s race. Although he wasn’t on the speaking list, he spent Thursday doing what most politicians do at the storied fair: making the rounds of the cabins and doing a lot of glad-handing.
And then there’s Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, who is also term-limited. He said again on Wednesday that he’s not ready to retire when his fifth term in statewide office ends. A governor’s race is supposedly one of the options he’s considering, and he continues to raise money, sending out an email appeal on the day after he spoke at the fair.
Hosemann should reconsider postponing retirement, even though I admire him a lot.
He’s been one of Mississippi’s most sensible and effective officeholders. As secretary of state, he implemented voter ID without getting the state sued. As lieutenant governor, he has been prudent with Mississippi’s newfound riches — much of it thanks to the boatload of money that Washington sent this way during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has helped guide the Legislature to cut taxes, raise teacher pay, increase school funding and invest in infrastructure, but to do so in a methodical, cautious manner that hopefully will avoid putting the state into a financial bind when revenues go south, as is inevitable.
What makes me reluctant, though, about jumping on the Delbert train is his age. Hosemann will be 80 years old when the 2027 statewide elections are held. If he runs for governor and wins, most likely it would be for two terms, given the habit of Mississippi voters to return incumbents to office.
Hosemann at 77 may feel that he is in good shape mentally and physically. Will he be at 88? Unlikely.
And yet, as we saw with Thad Cochran and most recently with Joe Biden, once people are elected to public office, it’s hard for them to leave willingly, no matter how much they decline. Either they don’t want to let go of the power and prestige, or their handlers won’t let them walk away.
This country has too many geriatrics serving in public office. They need to start acknowledging their limitations, serving as mentors to a younger generation of leaders, and turn the reins of government over to them. And they should do so without having to die in office or be pushed out when their infirmities become embarrassingly obvious.
As for the rest of the early field, Shad White might have the edge. A Rhodes Scholar, he definitely has the smarts. The State Auditor’s Office has been a launching pad for others who wound up in the Governor’s Mansion, including Ray Mabus and Phil Bryant. Because of the high-profile nature of what the state auditor does — catching thieves and wasteful spenders — the position gets a lot of free and positive publicity. White has been adept at milking the office for as much of that as possible.
He can, though, be snarky, and for someone who is so well-educated, he has this irritating habit of diverting people’s attention to emotionally charged but relatively minor issues, such as diversity, equity and inclusion programs in higher education.
I am interested to see what White writes about his former boss and political benefactor, Phil Bryant, in his upcoming book on the state’s welfare scandal When the scandal broke, White covered for Bryant, giving the then-governor credit for being the whistle-blower while failing to mention that Bryant supported and possibly aided some of the projects on which millions of dollars were misspent.
Of the other possible gubernatorial candidates mentioned this past week, Duff makes an intriguing option because of his exemplary business success, although there’s still a lot more to learn about his ideology.
As for Gipson, he turned me off by leading a “fight, fight, fight” chant at the Neshoba County Fair. He should have gotten his fill of that blood-lusting yell during his attendance last month at the Republican National Convention. With his love of guns and cowboy hats, he fits the unflattering stereotype that many people outside of Mississippi have of this state.
Certainly others will emerge who are interested in the governor’s job. It won’t hurt, however, if they wait a year or two to say so. The electorate would appreciate the break.
- Contact Tim Kalich at 662-581-7243 or tkalich@gwcommonwealth.com.
