Ex-House Speaker Philip Gunn enters governor’s race, pledging tax reform and job growth
By Taylor Vance | Originally published by Mississippi Today
CLINTON — Former Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn announced Tuesday evening that he will run for governor as a Republican next year, making him the second person to announce a run for the state’s top office.
Gunn told supporters in his hometown of Clinton that he will campaign on reforming Mississippi’s tax structure, encouraging young families to stay in Mississippi and bringing more jobs to the state.
“My vision is shaped by my passion and love for Mississippi,” said Gunn, 63, who is an attorney in private practice. “And my vision is very simple and straightforward: I want Mississippi to be the best place in America to live and work and raise a family.”
Gunn represented the Clinton area in the state House for 20 years, from 2004 to 2024, serving the last 12 of those as speaker — one of the most influential positions in state government. Gunn was the first Republican to lead the House since Reconstruction.
Gunn’s colleagues chose him to lead the 122-member House. He led the fight to retire Mississippi’s former state flag that featured a Confederate battle emblem, pushed lawmakers to reduce the state income tax, pushed for enactment of a law that led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and ushered in a large teacher pay raise.
Republican Gov. Tate Reeves is in his second and term and cannot seek reelection.
Gunn said if he’s elected governor, he wants to convene a panel of business leaders to explore ways to attract more high-paying jobs to Mississippi, which has long been one of the most impoverished states in the nation. He also said he wants to explore ways to reduce property taxes and cut the state’s grocery tax.
Lawmakers are concluding their three-month session, and they grappled with multiple funding issues in state government, including the public employees’ pension system, the rising cost of Medicaid and another teacher pay raise. Mississippi is also in the middle of phasing out its income tax.
Gunn told reporters that he wants to explore cutting some parts of government spending while exploring ways to change the tax structure as a whole, not simply reduce taxes.
“I know there are those taxes that provide sources of revenue for certain things,” Gunn said. “I think we’ve got to explore ways to shift that, if that’s the proper term, and find other ways to support the functions of government.”
He joins what is expected to be a crowded field of candidates in the Republican primary for governor. So far, Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson is the only other candidate who has announced that he will run for governor.
But Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, Attorney General Lynn Fitch, State Auditor Shad White, billionaire businessman Tommy Duff and former U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper are exploring a run for governor.
Gunn on Tuesday acknowledged there will likely be more candidates announcing for governor, but he told supporters to be wary of those who lack a proven record of advancing policy.
“There’s a huge difference between talking a big game and delivering one,” Gunn said. “We’ve had enough talk in Mississippi. The future of Mississippi depends on more than talk.”
Several House members, including current House Speaker Jason White, attended Gunn’s campaign launch. White told reporters that he is supporting Gunn’s campaign for governor because he believes Gunn has a proven track record of advancing conservative policies.
This article was originally published by Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Source: Original Article
