Live updates: Reeves, Presley win primaries for governor, plus more MS election results

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has won Tuesday’s Republican primary election over two lesser-known challengers.

The Associated Press called the race about 8:15 p.m.

Reeves will advance to the November general election where he will face off with Democrat Brandon Presley, who won the Democratic primary because he was unopposed.

Reeves defeated two first-time candidates: John Witcher, a physician who has criticized COVID-19 vaccinations, and David Hardigree, a military veteran. Presley, a cousin of rock ’n’ roll icon Elvis Presley, ran unopposed.

If you want to keep up with vote totals from key statewide races, check out this live interactive map from the New York Times.

The NYT will be updating their map with election results throughout the night Tuesday.

State and House races to watch

Lieutenant Governor:

• Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann is seeking another four years and is facing two Republican challengers, most notably Chris McDaniel of Jones County who is hosting a watch party in Biloxi.

Live updates: See results in the 2023 Mississippi Coast primary election

House races:

• In District 111, which covers Pascagoula and other parts of Jackson County, Rep. Charles Busby is running uncontested for transportation commissioner. Three Republicans are running for his seat.

• In District 115, which covers Biloxi and parts of D’Iberville, Randall Patterson is retiring. Three Republican challengers are vying for the seat.

Attorney general

Republican incumbent Lynn Fitch and Democratic challenger Greta Kemp Martin won their party primaries after running unopposed.

Fitch was first elected attorney general in 2019 after two terms as state treasurer. Under Fitch, the state attorney general’s office argued the case that the U.S. Supreme Court used in 2022 to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that legalized abortion rights nationwide.

Kemp Martin is an attorney for Disability Rights Mississippi. She says Fitch was wrong to push the case that overturned Roe v. Wade, and women are worse off because Mississippi and some other states have restricted women’s access to healthcare.

Secretary of State

Republican incumbent Michael Watson and Democratic challenger Shuwaski Young won their party primaries after running unopposed.

Watson was elected secretary of state in 2019 after three terms in the state Senate. He says his office is working to build confidence in Mississippi’s election process. That has included backing a law to strengthen proof of citizenship requirements for voting and shoring up paper trails for voting machines. If re-elected, Watson says he will conduct post-election audits in all 82 counties.

Young worked in the Department of Homeland Security during Barack Obama’s presidency and in the Secretary of State’s Office under Democrat Eric Clark and Republican Delbert Hosemann. Young launched his campaign for secretary of state after running unsuccessfully for Mississippi’s 3rd District congressional seat in 2022. Young wants to expand early voting and allow online voter registration. He also pledged to work with Republicans to monitor the state’s voter rolls.

Treasurer

Republican incumbent David McRae and Democratic challenger Addie Green won their party primaries after running unopposed.

McRae was first elected treasurer in 2019 after running unsuccessfully for the office in 2015. He says he opposes screening investments based on corporations’ environmental, social and governance strategies.

Green is a former Bolton alderwoman and has run unsuccessfully for other offices, including treasurer in 2019 and state agriculture commissioner in 2015. She says Mississippi should set a $15-an-hour minimum wage, up from the $7.25 federal minimum.

Auditor

Republican incumbent Shad White and Democratic challenger Larry Bradford won their party primaries after running unopposed.

White was appointed by then-Gov. Phil Bryant in 2018 and was elected to a full term in 2019. White’s office investigated the misspending of $77 million of federal welfare funds that were diverted to allies of Bryant. The Republican former governor has not been charged with a crime.

Bradford, a former mayor of Anguilla, says he would focus on protecting public money and would not get distracted by hot-button social issues. He criticizes White for attacking Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives at public universities.

Insurance Commissioner

Incumbent Mike Chaney has defeated Mitch Young in the Republican primary. In the general election, he will face Bruce Burton, who won the Democratic primary after running unopposed.

Chaney was elected insurance commissioner in 2007 after serving in the state House and Senate. He says he has focused on making insurance more affordable, and he has touted efforts to investigate complaints and help residents recover from natural disasters.

Young, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2015, served in the U.S. Navy from 1979 to 1999. He said Mississippi’s insurance industry needs to be better regulated so it can avoid the problems that have beset disaster-prone states like Florida.

Burton is a Belzoni-based attorney. He has run unsuccessfully for other offices, most recently in 2022 for a judgeship on the Mississippi Court of Appeals.

Agriculture Commissioner

Republican Andy Gipson, a former state representative who has been agriculture commissioner since 2018, won the Republican primary after running unopposed. Former Gov. Phil Bryant first appointed him to the vacant job. Gipson was then elected agriculture commissioner in 2019.

Three candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination: Robert “Brad” Bradford, Bethany Hill and Terry Rogers.

Bradford is the emergency manager director in Adams County. He’s a military veteran and a fourth-generation farmer from the Mississippi Delta.

Hill grew up on a farm in north Mississippi, and she publicly supported the effort to legalize medical marijuana in the state.

Rogers, 19, is the youngest candidate in the race. He says he supports having a Future Farmers of America chapter in each high school to encourage young people to consider agriculture jobs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report