A day of charges, countercharges, endorsements and counter endorsements in the campasigns of Gov. Tate Reeves and his Democratic challenger, Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley.
Both campaigns came out with endorsements Wednesday. Reeves has gotten the nod of the Mississippi Associated General Contractors.
“Gov. Reeves has led our state to the best economic shape we’ve ever been in,” said Mississippi AGC president Robert Pooley. “His record of cutting taxes, attracting new capital investment, and bringing high-paying jobs to our state has created the Mississippi Momentum we see today.”
Mississippi's economy is firing on all cylinders. Our unemployment is the lowest it's ever been, we have more people working than ever before, and incomes are up 30 percent in the past few years. I'm honored to be endorsed by AGC, whose work has played a major role in the success… pic.twitter.com/mE631L6E6v
Meanwhile, the Presley campaign announced an endorsement from former Mississippi Congressman Michael Parker, listed as a Republican but who at one time was a Democrat.
“I’m proud to endorse Brandon Presley because we need more public servants like him who will roll up their sleeves and tackle Mississippi’s biggest challenges,” said Parker. “Brandon worked across party lines to deliver broadband, and as governor, he will work in a bipartisan way to tackle corruption and solve our state’s hospital crisis. Brandon Presley is pro-life, he’s a good man, and he’ll always look out for Mississippi.”
Parker served as Congressman, first in the Democratic party, and then in the Republican party. He later served as Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Army, with authority over the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1999.
In 2020, Parker endorsed Joe Biden for President, along with 26 other former Republican members of Congress.
Mike Parker was the 1999 Republican nominee for Governor and a former Republican congressman. I’m honored to have his endorsement for Governor. My campaign is a coalition of Democrats, Republicans and Independents. pic.twitter.com/eRqwUvM2Jw
Reeves’ refusal to expand Medicaid in Mississippi has led to Democrats using that in the campaign against him and was the focus of a “Save Our Hospitals” roundtable discussion Wednesday in Greenville with state Rep. John Hines Sr, along with local leaders and healthcare professionals from the Delta.
At the same time, the Governor’s office announced a major announcement regarding investment in hospitals would be coming during a news conference Thursday, Sept. 21 in Jackson.
Presley’s camp has claimed Reeves’ position on Medicaid has led to hospital closings, layoffs at medical centers, or the refusal to provide care for financial reasons.
