Former House Speaker Philip Gunn expected to announce this month he’s running for governor
By Taylor Vance | Originally published by Mississippi Today
Former House Speaker Philip Gunn is expected to announce on Tuesday, April 14, that he will run for governor, which would make him the second candidate to officially enter the race for the 2027 election.
Mississippi Today obtained an invitation for an announcement event sent to supporters. A representative of the former speaker did not respond to a request for comment.
Gunn, a Republican, represented the Clinton area in the state House for 20 years, serving 12 of those as speaker — one of the most influential positions in state government. Gunn was the first Republican to hold the office since Reconstruction.
At a Capitol ceremony recently, he told attendees he wanted to help develop the next generation of Mississippians and make the state the “best place to live and work.”
“I am not riding off into the sunset, but I will be riding into the sunrise,” Gunn said.
During his tenure as speaker, Gunn helped lead the effort to replace Mississippi’s former state flag, which featured a Confederate battle emblem, with its current design. He also shepherded the House passage of a bill that severely restricted abortion in the state — legislation that ultimately led the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade and eliminate the constitutional right to an abortion.
Gunn joins Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson, who announced last year, in the governor’s race. Others interested in running include State Auditor Shad White, Attorney General Lynn Fitch, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and billionaire businessman Tommy Duff.
This article was originally published by Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Source: Original Article
