A 2019 gubernatorial battle between incumbent Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves of Rankin County and incumbent Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood of Chickasaw County stacks up as an instant classic old school political street brawl – the likes of which hasn’t been seen in Mississippi since Republican Haley Barbour squared off against Democrat Ronnie Musgrove in 2003.
In that race – to date the most expensive governor’s race in Mississippi history – Barbour unseated incumbent Gov. Musgrove by taking 52.6 percent of the vote (470,404) to 45.8 percent (409,787) for Musgrove. The other 1.6 percent of the vote was spilt between minor party candidates John Crips, Shawn O’Hara, and Sherman Lee Dillon.
Between Barbour and Musgrove, some $18 million was expended in that 2003 gubernatorial campaign with Barbour getting the benefit of another $5 million in television advertising paid for by the Republican Governor’s Association.
In that same 2003 Mississippi general election, GOP nominee Reeves won election as the first Republican state treasurer with 51.8 percent of the vote or 447,860 votes to Democrat Gary Anderson’s 46.64 percent of the vote or 403,307. Elsewhere on that 2003 ballot, Democrat Hood won election to his first term as attorney general with 62.71 percent of the vote or 548,046 votes to 37.29 percent of the vote or 325,942 for Republican Scott Newton.
In 2007, Reeves won re-election as state treasurer over Democrat Shawn O’Hara with 60.53 percent of the vote or 436,833 votes. The 2007 election saw Hood win re-election as attorney general with a 59.82 or 440,017 vote win over Republican challenger Al Hopkins.
The 2011 statewide elections saw Reeves win his first term as lieutenant governor. Reeves prevailed in a bruising, hotly contested Republican primary battle with Billy Hewes of Gulfport with a convincing 56.89 percent of the primary vote. In the 2011 general election. Reeves cruised with 80.35 percent of the vote against Reform Party nominee Tracella Lou O’Hara.
On that same 2011 ballot, Hood won a third term as attorney general with a 61.08 percent or 536,827 vote win over GOP challenger Steve Simpson.
In the 2015 elections, Reeves won a second term as lieutenant governor after crushing GOP primary opponent Alisha Nelson McElhenney with 82.50 percent of the primary vote. Reeves then dispatched his general election opponents with 60.5 percent of the vote – including Democrat Tim “Elvis” Johnson with 35.94 percent, Libertarian Ron Williams with 2.28 percent, and Reform Party nominee Rosa Williams with 1.32 percent.
The 2015 race saw Hood defeat Republican challenger Mike Hurst – now the Southern District U.S. Attorney – with 55.29 percent of the vote to Hurst’s 44.71 percent.
Out of the starting blocks, Reeves has amassed a campaign war chest of well over $5 million and has not been particularly coy about his desire to seek the governor’s office. Term limited after two consecutive terms as lieutenant governor, Reeves’ entry into the governor’s race has been almost a forgone conclusion. Reeves’ campaign is already underway, full speed ahead.
Hood, on the other hand, has been much closer to the vest about his plans until the last few months. But in recent weeks, it’s been evident that Hood’s long-rumored gubernatorial bid was going to happen and that fact is not taken as a surprise by the Reeves camp. The worst-kept secret in Mississippi politics is out.
A Reeves-Hood matchup pits two proven public officials who each have been able to command popular vote majorities in four consecutive elections. The Reeves win over Hewes in the 2011 GOP primary particularly served notice of Reeves’ strength among his own party.
But Hood is a different breed of cat for the Democrats. Hood has won popular vote majorities even with Republicans dominating the top of the ticket in the state and with the GOP throwing everything but the kitchen sink at him in four straight elections and still failing to unseat him.
No one in the Mississippi GOP – least of all a battle-tested Reeves – will be taking Hood lightly in 2019.
Sid Salter is a syndicated columnist. Contact him at sidsalter@sidsalter.com
49 comments:
Sid just has a talent for writing down stuff that everyone already knows.
I don’t want to vote for Tate. But I can’t vote for Hood. W a y too many cozy deals with the trial lawyers who will fund his campaign. Deciding to move the AG,s office to NE miss and assorted other actions. It would be nice to have a reasonably minded conservative candidate as an option but I’m afraid there’s no one that qualifies and could raise the money needed.
Did you know, 8:15 pm that Justice Roberts ,for example, is a " trial lawyer and a member of The American College of Trial Lawyers?
"Trial lawyer" only means that the lawyer has litigated his cases in court himself.
Many lawyers never speak to a judge in a court. They may write briefs or do work on the discovery, but they don't litigate in the court on behalf of the client.
Personal injury lawyers are the ones you don't like and there are really very few of those who can making a living to be a big enough supporter of any candidate.
The whole Tort Reform nonsense was paid for by big insurance and guess what? Doctors still pay ridiculous malpractice rates.
The change is that ordinary folks who have been damaged irrevocably don't get compensated enough to punish the people who profited from their deaths or injuries. Just look at the drug company who opioids to Florida in outrageously ridiculous quantities and paid out less than they profited from a year of sales.
What we don't know usually ends up hurting us that what we fear.
Tate will have no problem with Hood if people will pay attention to policy over personality. On the other hand, knowing Mississippi voters, Tate may have a big problem with Hood.
The biggest mystery to me in Mississippi politics is how Hood gets so many Republicans to vote for him...
In reality, 9:03, all the so called republicans on this and other blogs who say they're voting for Hood are not republicans at all. They're democrats and they're liars.
"I've been a republican all my life but am voting for Hood" in 3..2..1
Unfortunately for Tate, his politics is not noteworthy enough to offset his off-putting, condescending, jackass-like personality for many voters. I intend to sit that race out by refusing to vote for either candidate.
There seems to be a trend in politics these days. Neither party gives you a choice you can feel comfortable with. Either a party hack or an idiot blowhard. This mirrors the national election. Once it starts people find themselves defending the most vile and insufferable bastards on earth because of their hatred of the other party. The process is failing? But maybe it's succeeding... giving us the "leadership" we deserve.
As a life-long Republican voter, I cannot bring myself to vote for Tater, and I sure as hell am not going to vote for Mullet Man. I just hope some dark horse candidate emerges that I can halfway buy into. Otherwise, I might just sit our of next year's, which I thought I'd never do. I guess I could always write-in somebody's name on my ballot. Maybe Ernest T. Bass or Otis Campbell....
Hood is going to be a tough opponent for Tate........ but Hood has NEVER had an opponent that will work as hard as Tate and be financed as well as Tate.
Street fight? More like a sissy slap fight. How red will little Taters face get...is there enough hair product available in the state of Mississippi to let Hood’s DO survive...I’m on the edge of my seat already
NEVER TATER!!!! The Kim Jung Un of the South is almost gone!!!!
Good riddance to Little Lord Fauntleroy!!
Only a fool would vote for that sorry sack of potatoes he would triple state funds going to private companies, while at the same time milking the rainy day fund. He wouldn't get sh*t fixed in this state, only if its convenient for where he lives, or who kisses his ass.
At least with Twitty Hood he's brought money into Mississippi. It wasn't Phil or Tater Thot that got $700 million into Mississippi, it was Twitty Hood that made sure BP paid for the damage they caused to the coast.
Good riddance to the miniature dictator.
I can't believe Tater let the next Governor beat him to the announcement. That's an ominous sign for Tater.
I certainly will vote for Tate. Also for Delbert. This gives Mississippi the best shot at prosperity in the age of Trump. We need to return some manufacturing to Mississippi for less skilled workers + all we stand to bring here. Both Tate and Delbert are money-minded and will benefit us by pushing more equitable taxing and better use of the money we have.
"Street fight?!" Tate Reeves?! Jim Hood?! Are you joking? Either would be at right at home in a back-stabbing, a shin-kicking, a purse-swinging, or what passes for a press conference in Mississippi, but neither would last a millisecond in a fastfood joint slapfest much less an actual street fight. But on the bright side (well, for wiseasses, anyway), Mississippi will get one of them as the next Governor.
Best shot at prosperity?
25 years of Tate and company and we are dead last.
Their ideas have tanked the state...further!
What does MS have to lose by voting for something other than Tate?
Not a damn thing
Vote for change - vote for Jim
I heard Russell Latino might run for Governor.
Any politician who continues to keep the (D) behind their name now is pure trash and an enemy of this country to me at this point. Hood very well could be the better choice as a person but I WILL NOT VOTE FOR A DEMOCRAT. That boat has sailed.
Bring back the trucker guy from last time !!
Unfortunately for Tater Tot - Jim Hood has one of the BEST opposition research teams in the country... Prepare for Tate's dirty laundry to be aired in 3...2...1...
all you have to do is go look at all that's been developed in Alabama over the last eight years: Remington, Airbus, Amazon Fulfillment Center, Hyundai, Honda expansions, Toyota expansions....
we have beef plants, shopping malls, and a tire plant.
Hmmm...why would we continue to not grow our economy or advance? simply voting for the person with the "R" by their name?
Haley Barbour had it set up to grow, baby, grow... all we worry about now is who is using what bathroom and making sure people get their scratch on public projects...
@ October 3, 2018 at 12:03 PM
Sounds like a mindless Mississippi Republican that drinks the "conservative" cuckold Kool-aid.
Jim Hood has one of the BEST opposition research teams in the country.
Name the firm or BS.
Hood doesn't need to do any research, people have been feeding him stuff on Tater for years.
9:12 and 12:03 are of the same narrow, irrational, and inflexible mindset. A candidate that you would support, McDaniel for instance, would hold his toys in one corner and never come out to play, leaving Mississippi dead last.
Will certainly positively not vote for Tate. Jim Hood will be my guy if Tate wins the primary. Anybody know how to get in touch with Dave Dennis? Tell him to run.
@1:08 & 1:41
The Democratic party is now primarily made up of every non-productive, whiny, wacked out ,mis-fit ,American hating group of "victims" in this country. I'm sure both of you fit right in the middle of this sordid group of losers...well I don't. MAGA
12:03 - You're towing the party line like a good little sheep. Good grief, man - learn to think for yourself.
What is Mr. Hood's position on immigration ? Is it the standard abolish ICE, open border Democratic stance ?
If Hood is elected will we have sanctuary cities ?
If Jim will totally disavow himself from the national democratic party and their principles and run as an independent I will vote for him and contribute to his campaign. I simply can't vote for someone who is a member of a group whose ideology is basically 180 degrees different from mine AND most other sane people in this country.
Hood will never be able to distance himself enough from the national Donkeycrat platform.
Mark my words Tate Reeves will not get the State Employee or Teacher vote, a substantial block in the metro area. There are State Employees who have not had a raise of any kind since 7/1/2007, not sure of last teacher raise, but it has been a while as well. This Republican will be voting for Jim Hood or for any Republican Primary challenger of Tate Reeves.
3:07, and you are a typical Trump-inspired hater who will play no part in MAGA.
Hood is not going unopposed in the Democratic primary. Just watch. Black Dems in Jackson have long memories.
Who the hell is Russell Latino? With a name like that he must have a Texas tag. Outside six old white men up in Madison County, who ever heard of this guy? Does he even own a neck-tie?
5:48 - how about someone with the initials RSS possibly deciding to run for Governor in 2019?
The black vote in metro area does have long memories. And the black vote statewide is tired of giving its votes to the Dems and getting nothing for it except the crumbs. Besides his attacks on Shuler-Smith, check how many of Hood's multi-million dollar state contracts have gone to any in-state AA firms; recognizing the obvious answer, realize that they all already know.
Any black Democrat with strong gravitas will give Mr. Hood a serious run. Hood doesn't have much money.
October 3, 2018 at 8:12 PM
Nice try Bubba. So Republicans can vote for the weaker candidate in the primary! LOL!!!!
That'll be the first time white Republicans in Mississippi vote for a black Democrat if a black challenger went against Hood.
I’d vote for Russ Latino. Or Delbert. Or Hood. Before Tate.
But Tate has all the money and the blind ignorant vote locked up. Should be a good one next year.
If Jimmah Cahtuh could be president, I reckon Rust Latino can be guvnah. After all, you people did elect Runnie Mustgrove.
4:25,
There was an across the board teacher pay raise in 2014 or 15, ON TOP of their guaranteed step raises. They will probably get another one this year. K-12 has done quite well under GOP leadership. And don’t give me a line about state employees not getting a raises, while they have not had across the board, the vast majority of state employees have gotten raises.
I will give you these groups probably won’t support Tate because he has held them accountable on expecting results and changes the way of doing business from the “weve Always done it that way” and “just give us more money” way of thinking.
And also don’t give me a line about you being a Republican.
Have not heard about Russell Latino, but that would be exciting.
9:47...Please tell us more about this guaranteed step raise. I do believe there might have been a 900 dollar across the board raise five or six years ago. If you know basic math, that would be just over two bucks a day.
Of course I won't even deal with your state employee comment since it's simply a lie.
@ October 4, 2018 at 9:47 AM
"while they have not had across the board, the vast majority of state employees have gotten raises.................I will give you these groups probably won’t support Tate because he has held them accountable on expecting results and changes the way of doing business from the “we've always done it that way” and “just give us more money” way of thinking."
A couple of things. No, state workers have not received pay raises. The state legislature, especially the Republican majority, assumed that since some people moved into higher positions (promotion), due to a vacancy, they then considered that person received a pay raise. That is bullsh*t. That person did not receive a pay raise, they moved into a vacant position with more duties and responsibilities. A pay raise is when a person receives an increase in salary in their current position. The state legislature is not interpreting the data correctly. They are simply fudging the information.
As far as holding them accountable? Taterous Maximous wants to shut all this stuff down and privatize it. He is the hellspawn of the Tea Party. He wants your tax dollars to go to private companies to handle public services. In turn, he wants the ability to pick winners and losers on who collects those tax dollars, which will be his campaign donors that will come out as winners. The worse he can make these agencies look, to get to his ultimate goal, he will do it.
The state of Mississippi has given that man 16 years to jack up our financial footing. He did a terrible job as treasurer, he did a terrible job as Lt. Governor on the policies he's pushed through the Senate. He did nothing to address our infrastructure, done everything in his power to privatize public education and kill public education funding. He has definitely snowed over public workers by never letting a cost of living increase bill reach the Senate floor. He treats public workers for the state of Mississippi, as enemies of the state.
Everyone in this state, especially public workers, should learn their lesson and not promote this man as Governor of Mississippi.
Jim Hood at least wants to propel our standards of living pass Tennessee, Alabama, and Louisiana. Not maintain the status quo like Tate Reeves.
Tate Reeves is as two faced as they come. I remember in the last election cycle where he fawned over the education vote and made himself present at several education conferences. The very next summer he didn't accept the invitation and talked trash about admins. But, they will figure out how to get a teacher pay raise through this session. Used to that probably would have been enough but I'm not sure it will work this time around. Teachers are tired of the low wages AND the lack of respect and incessant testing.
Unless Jim Hood can s*** out a Nashville, Birmingham, Huntsville, Little Rock or New Orleans (borderline), then he ain’t catching those states. You have to have places people want to go. Especially younger folks who are recent college grads. They want to be in cool, unique urban areas that are growing. We have Jackson. He’s no more going to turn Houston MS into a utopia and give it a high quality hospital than Tate Reeves is going to eliminate all debt. Jim’s goals and pretense are not rooted in the economic realities of today. It’s all about the “good ole days”
Why does this state seem to perpetually have election cycles with poor choices on the ballot? Ronnie Musgrove vs Barbour? Gil Carmichael? Cliff Finch? A truck driver? An unknown-nobody from Clarksdale or Hattiesburg? Phil Bryant himself, twice? Tate Reeves and Jim Hood?
We have no horses in the stable. Nobody in the wings. Nothing in the pipeline. Nothing but the warmed-over mush of state employees who think it's their turn.
The last quality public servant we elected was Kirk Fordice, an accomplished businessman who had no idea what PERS was before he became governor. Was that the only time in the past sixty years we've had a businessman in the mansion?
Can Chris McDaniel still qualify if he isn't elected Senator? That's our only chance of having decent leadership.
6:38, I disagree. William Winter was not a business man, but he was an excellent Governor and a true statesman.
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