Columbus Dispatch Editorial Board Endorses Brandon Presley for Governor of Mississippi

Columbus Dispatch Editorial: “Presley is the clear choice for governor”

On Saturday, The Columbus Dispatch Editorial Board endorsed Brandon Presley for Governor of Mississippi saying “Reeves represents the status-quo, while Presley brings a record of fearlessly challenging the status-quo.”

This endorsement highlights Presley’s record of “advocating for and enacting initiatives that benefit virtually every Mississippian,” and notes that his “commitment to Mississippians’ needs and his ability to compromise make him the right choice for a state that has long been in need of a change.”

The editorial board also takes aim at Gov. Tate Reeves’ failed leadership, noting that on his watch,  “Mississippi is growing slower economically and losing population faster than virtually any other state in the southeast,”and that “Reeves has stubbornly opposed [Medicaid expansion] even while a third of hospitals around the state teeter on the brink of bankruptcy and a majority of Mississippians favor the move.”

Read key excerpts from the article below:

• Reeves represents the status-quo, while Presley brings a record of fearlessly challenging the status-quo.
• …Presley stands on a track record of advocating for and enacting initiatives that benefit virtually every Mississippian, and he’s done it from the unlikely seat of the PSC, an elected board that oversees utilities.
  • Presley has long called for the expansion of Medicaid, something Reeves has stubbornly opposed even while a third of hospitals around the state teeter on the brink of bankruptcy and a majority of Mississippians favor the move.
  • While other state leaders essentially shrugged, he carried the fight — and won — on behalf of citizens facing huge electric rate increases when the $2.9 billion Kemper power plant faced budget overruns and eventually failed.
  • He pressured hesitant electric co-ops to offer high speed internet to their rural customers, a rollout that has been popular and successful.
  • He can compromise. Presley crossed party lines to endorse George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election, showing he is not entirely beholden to a political party.
  • It’s easy to nod in agreement to many of his other initiatives: impactful use of COVID-relief funds, opposing a hush-hush plan to use the state for nuclear waste disposal, advocating for domestic assault victims and saving rate payers money.
• Presley has articulated his priorities: expand Medicaid; eliminate sales tax on groceries (a tax that exists in just seven states); restore an initiative process; and attack government corruption. (Reeves fired the state attorney tasked with looking into the largest case of corruption in state history when that attorney tried to expand the investigation.)
• Presley’s vision and record demonstrate his commitment to these ideas and his statesmanship, not just during the campaign, but throughout his years of public service.
• Therefore, The Dispatch endorses Brandon Presley as the 66th Governor of Mississippi. His commitment to Mississippians’ needs and his ability to compromise make him the right choice for a state that has long been in need of a change.

Read the full endorsement here. 

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