JACKSON, Miss. — Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves continues to outraise and outspend all other candidates in the Mississippi governor’s race, with Attorney General Jim Hood raising and spending the most among Democrats in the race for the state’s top job.
Party primaries are Aug. 6 for statewide, regional, legislative and county offices.
Candidates for several offices are speaking Wednesday and Thursday at the Neshoba County Fair outside Philadelphia. It’s one of the biggest political gatherings of the year, with some campaigns bringing busloads of supporters to wave signs, cheer their own candidate and jeer the opponents.
Candidates who face primary opponents filed campaign finance reports Tuesday showing how much they have raised and spent this year. Those without primaries were not required to file reports.
Reeves reports raising about $5 million this year, and he has roughly that much cash remaining in his three campaign funds. The reports filed Tuesday show that Reeves collected more than $364,000 July 1-27, and his campaign transferred $1 million from one of his funds to another.
Reeves faces former Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. and state Rep. Robert Foster.
Waller, who’s trying to force Reeves into a runoff for the party nomination, has raised $1.2 million this year and has spent $1.1 million. He reported $117,501 cash on hand.
Foster has raised about $179,400 and spent about $176,000 this year and reports $15,634 cash on hand.
Hood has raised $1.6 million and spent $1.1 million this year and reports just over $902,000 cash on hand.
Hood faces seven candidates in the Democratic primary, including Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith, who reports $1,511 cash on hand. Finance reports were not immediately available for other Democrats, including Velesha P. Williams, a retired Jackson State University administrator.
If runoffs are needed in the primaries, they will be Aug. 27. The general election is Nov. 5.
The current governor, Republican Phil Bryant, could not seek a third term.