Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves won his reelection bid on Tuesday, ABC News projects, fending off a notable challenge from his Democratic rival, Mississippi Public Service Commission member Brandon Presley.
Reliably red Mississippi, which former President Donald Trump won by nearly 20 points in 2020, had been seen as an potentially unexpected toss-up race in its final weeks -- as national Democrats threw millions of dollars behind Presley, banking on the electorate's issues with Reeves as enough of a vulnerability to flip a state not led by a Democrat in nearly two decades. (Presley is also a second cousin of rock 'n' roll legend Elvis Presley.)
The mood at Presley’s party in Jackson, the capital city, was somber as he said hours after the polls closed: “Tonight’s a setback, but we’re not going to lose hope. ... This campaign elevated issues that had to be elevated in Mississippi.”
The race was unusually competitive for this GOP stronghold. But Reeves prevailed with a message focused on job creation, low unemployment and improvements in education. He also cast Presley as a liberal backed by out-of-state donors who were out of step with Mississippi.
“For you to believe Brandon Presley in anything that he says, you’ve got to believe that everything in Mississippi is bad,” Reeves said last week during the candidates’ only debate.
Reeves, who received an endorsement last week from former President Trump, said Presley was in the pockets of national Democrats and wasn't right for Mississippi.
"They don't just want to change governors — they want to change Mississippi," Reeves told voters.
No Democrat has won the Mississippi governor's race in more than 20 years.
Republican Gov. Tate Reeves is running for a second term as Mississippi’s chief executive. His Democratic challenger, Brandon Presley, is putting up a tough fight in this deeply red state. The Democrats hope Presley, a public service commissioner and second cousin of Elvis Presley, can force a runoff – if no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, the state will host a runoff election on Nov. 28. Mississippi is one of three states with gubernatorial elections this year.
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