Governor of Mississippi

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Mississippi Governor
General information
Office Type:	Partisan
Office website:	Official Link
Compensation:	$122,160
2022 FY Budget:	$3,323,769
Term limits:	Two terms
Structure
Length of term:	Four years
Authority:	Mississippi Constitution, Article V, Section I the Executive Department
Selection Method:	Elected
Current Officeholder
Governor of Mississippi Tate Reeves Republican Party Assumed office: 2020-01-14
Elections
Next election:	November 7, 2023
Last election:	November 5, 2019
Other Mississippi Executive Offices
Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Executive Director of Environmental Quality • Executive Director of Employment Security • Public Service Commission • Transportation Commission

The Governor of the State of Mississippi is an elected constitutional officer, the head of the executive branch and the highest state office in Mississippi. This office is elected to four-year terms in the odd-numbered year preceding a presidential election.^[1] Governors of Mississippi are prohibited from serving more than two terms in office.^[2]

Mississippi has a Republican trifecta. The Republican Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.

Mississippi has a Republican triplex. The Republican Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.

See also: Mississippi State Legislature, Mississippi House of Representatives, Mississippi State Senate

Current officer[edit]

The 65th and current governor is Tate Reeves (R). He was first elected in 2019 and sworn in on January 14, 2020.^[3]

Authority[edit]

The state Constitution addresses the office of the governor in Article V, the Executive Department.

Under Article V, Section I:

The chief executive power of this state shall be vested in a Governor...[4]

Qualifications[edit]

State Executives
Current Governors
Gubernatorial Elections
2022 • 2021 • 2020 2019 • 2018 • 2017 2016 • 2015 • 2014
Current Lt. Governors
Lt. Governor Elections
2022 • 2021 • 2020 2019 • 2018 • 2017 2016 • 2015 • 2014

The term of office of the governor of Mississippi is four years. The fee for party candidates is $300 made payable to the appropriate state party executive committee. There is no fee for independent candidates but a total of 1,000 signatures must be submitted.

Additionally, a gubernatorial candidate must be:^[4]

• at least 30 years old
• a citizen of the United States for 20 years
• a resident of the state five years

Elections[edit]

Mississippi belongs to the handful of states that hold off-year elections, that is, elections in off-numbered years that are neither presidential nor midterm years. In Mississippi's case, elections are held in the year after a midterm and before a presidential; thus, 2015, 2019, 2023, and 2027 are all gubernatorial election years. Legally, the inauguration is always held the second Tuesday in January after an election.

In the event of a tie, the House of Representatives casts ballots between the two highest vote-getters.

If no candidate secures majorities of both the popular and electoral votes, under Article V, Section 141, the Mississippi House of Representatives shall consider the two highest vote getters and vote, vive voce, to choose the governor. Such a vote shall be recorded in the journal.^[4]

Results[edit]

2019[edit]

See also: Mississippi gubernatorial election, 2019

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Phillip West (D)

2015[edit]

See also: Mississippi gubernatorial election, 2015

General[edit]

Governor of Mississippi, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Robert Gray	32.3%	231,643
	Republican	Phil Bryant Incumbent	66.4%	476,697
	Reform	Shawn O'Hara	1.4%	9,845
Total Votes				718,185
Election results via Mississippi Secretary of State

Primary[edit]

Gray defeated Slater and Short in the Democratic primary election; he faced incumbent Phil Bryant (R) and challenger Shawn O'Hara (I) in the general election.^[5][6]

Governor of Mississippi Democratic Primary, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Robert Gray	50.8%	152,087
Vicki Slater	30.4%	91,104
Valerie Short	18.8%	56,177
Total Votes		299,368
Election results via Mississippi Secretary of State.

Incumbent Bryant defeated Young in the Republican primary. Bryant defeated challengers Robert Gray (D) and Shawn O'Hara (I) in the general election.^[5]

Governor of Mississippi Republican Primary, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Phil Bryant	91.8%	254,779
Mitch Young	8.2%	22,628
Total Votes		277,407
Election results via Mississippi Secretary of State.

2011[edit]

See also: Mississippi gubernatorial election, 2011

Republican Phil Bryant, lieutenant governor to term-limited Gov. Haley Barbour, defeated Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree (D) in the general election.

General[edit]

Governor of Mississippi, 2011
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Phil Bryant	61%	544,851
	Democratic	Johnny DuPree	39%	348,617
Total Votes				893,468
Election results via Mississippi Secretary of State

Primary[edit]

Gubernatorial Democratic Primary election
Party		Candidate	Vote Percentage
	Democratic Party	aJohnny DuPree	43.5%
	Democratic Party	aBill Luckett, Jr.	39.2%
	Democratic Party	William Bond Compton, Jr.	9.8%
	Democratic Party	Guy Dale Shaw	7.3%
Total Votes			412,530

Governor - Democratic primary runoff results
Party		Candidate	Vote Percentage
	Democratic Party	aJohnny DuPree	55%
	Democratic Party	Bill Luckett, Jr.	45%
Total Votes			323,284

Gubernatorial Republican Primary election
Party		Candidate	Vote Percentage
	Republican Party	aPhil Bryant	59.5%
	Republican Party	Dave Dennis	25.7%
	Republican Party	Ron Williams	8.8%
	Republican Party	Hudson Holliday	4.7%
	Republican Party	James Broadwater	1.2%
Total Votes			289,788

Term limits[edit]

See also: States with gubernatorial term limits

Mississippi governors are restricted to two terms in office during their lifetime.^[4]

Mississippi Constitution, Article 5, Section 116

Any person elected to the office of Governor shall be eligible to succeed himself in office. However, no person shall be elected to the office of Governor more than twice, and no person who has held the office of Governor or has acted as Governor for more than two (2) years of a term to which another person was elected shall be elected to the office of Governor more than once.[4]

Full history[edit]

To view the electoral history dating back to 2003 for the office of Mississippi Governor, Click [show] to expand the section.

2011 On November 8, 2011, Phil Bryant won re-election to the office of Governor of Mississippi. He defeated Johnny DuPree (Democrat) in the general election. Governor of Mississippi, 2011 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Phil Bryant 61% 544,851      Democratic Johnny DuPree 39% 348,617 Total Votes 893,468 Election results via Mississippi Secretary of State. 2007 On November 6, 2007, Haley Barbour won election to the office of Governor of Mississippi. He ran unopposed in the general election. Governor of Mississippi, 2007 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Haley Barbour Incumbent 57.9% 430,807      Democratic John A. Eaves 42.1% 313,232 Total Votes 744,039 Election results via Mississippi Secretary of State. 2003 On November 4, 2003, Haley Barbour won re-election to the office of Governor of Mississippi. He ran unopposed in the general election. Governor of Mississippi, 2003 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Haley Barbour 52.6% 470,404      Democratic Ronnie Musgrove 45.8% 409,787      Constitution John Thomas Cripps 0.7% 6,317      Reform Shawn O'Hara 0.5% 4,070      Green Sherman Lee Dillon 0.4% 3,909 Total Votes 894,487 Election results via Mississippi Secretary of State.

Partisan composition[edit]

The chart below shows the partisan breakdown of Mississippi governors from 1992 to 2013.

Vacancies[edit]

See also: How gubernatorial vacancies are filled

Details of vacancies are addressed under Article V, Section 131.

In the event of a temporary vacancy in the governorship, due to illness, absence, or disability, the office shall first devolve to the lieutenant governor, followed by the President Pro Tem of the Senate and then the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Should all three of those officers be unable to discharge the office of the governor, the Mississippi Secretary of State shall convene a special session of the Senate wherein its members shall elect a new President Pro Tem who will be able to serve as acting governor.

Any individual acting as the governor receives the base compensation for his or her elected office plus the difference between that wage and the gubernatorial salary. Acting governors have the full powers and emoluments of the office.

If there is a question of the governor's permanent disability or of whether a temporarily absent governor is fit to resume the office, then the secretary of state shall request that the Mississippi Supreme Court investigate and decide the matter. Once delivered in writing to the Secretary of State, that opinion is "final and conclusive."

Duties[edit]

The governor serves as commander-in-chief of the army and navy of the state, and of the militia, except when they shall be called into the service of the United States, (§ 119), and sees that all laws are upheld and executed (§ 123).

The governor may convene the legislature whenever, in his or her judgment, the public interest requires it, according to the state constitution. However, during such meetings the governor has cannot consider or act upon subjects or matters other than those designated in the proclamation of the meeting, except impeachments and examination into the accounts of state officers. (§ 120)

The governor has the power to grant reprieves and pardons and to remit fines. This power does not extend to cases of treason or impeachment and must be exercised with the advice and consent of the Senate. (§ 124)

As a privilege of the office, the governor may keep and use the Great Seal of the State of Mississippi. (§ 126)^[4]

Other duties and privileges of the office include:

• Requiring written information from any officer of an executive department of any aspect of his or her office (§ 121)

• Periodically addressing the legislature on the state of the state and making recommendations (§ 122)

• Suspending county level Treasurers and Tax Collectors who are suspected of defaulting for the length of the investigation (§ 125)

• Making and sealing all commissions granted by the state of Mississippi (§ 127)

Divisions[edit]

Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for information that describes the divisions (if any exist) of a state executive office. That information for the Governor of Mississippi has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.

State budget[edit]

Role in state budget[edit]

See also: Mississippi state budget and finances

The state operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:^[7]

1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in June of the year preceding the start of the new fiscal year.
2. State agencies submit their budget requests to the governor in August.
3. Agency hearings are held in September and October.
4. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature by November 15 (this deadline is extended to January 31 for a newly elected governor).
5. The legislature typically adopts a budget in March or April. The fiscal year begins July 1.

Mississippi is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.^[7]

The governor is legally required to submit a balanced budget proposal. Likewise, the legislature is legally required to pass a balanced budget.^[7]

Governor's office budget[edit]

The Office of the Governor's budget for fiscal year 2022 was $3,323,769.^[8]

Compensation[edit]

See also: Comparison of gubernatorial salaries and Compensation of state executive officers

See statutes: MS Code §25-3-31 (2013)

Under Article 5, Section 118 of the Mississippi Constitution, the governor’s salary is determined by law, and may not be increased or decreased during the current term. The Mississippi Code states that no public official can be compensated, directly or indirectly, greater than 150 percent of the salary of the governor.^[9]

2020[edit]

In 2020, the governor received a salary of $122,160, according to the Council of State Governments.^[10]

2019[edit]

In 2019, the governor received a salary of $122,160, according to the Council of State Governments.^[11]

2018[edit]

In 2018, the governor received a salary of $122,160, according to the Council of State Governments.^[12]

2017[edit]

In 2017, the governor received a salary of $122,160, according to the Council of State Governments.^[13]

2016[edit]

In 2016, the governor received a salary of $122,160, according to the Council of State Governments.^[14]

2015[edit]

In 2015, the governor received a salary of $122,160, according to the Council of State Governments.^[15]

2014[edit]

In 2014, the governor's salary remained at $122,160, according to the Council of State Governments.^[16]

2013[edit]

In 2013, the governor's salary remained at $122,160, according to the Council of State Governments.^[17]

2012[edit]

In 2012, the governor's salary was $122,160, according to the Council of State Governments.^[18]

History[edit]

Partisan balance 1992-2013[edit]

See also: Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States and Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States, Mississippi

From 1992-2013, in Mississippi there were Democratic governors in office for four years while there were Republican governors in office for 18 years, including the last 10. Mississippi is one of eight states that were run by a Republican governor for more than 80 percent of the years between 1992-2013. Mississippi was under Republican trifectas for the last two years of the study period.

Across the country, there were 493 years of Democratic governors (44.82%) and 586 years of Republican governors (53.27%) from 1992 to 2013.

Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.

The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of Mississippi, the Mississippi State Senate and the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.

SQLI and partisanship[edit]

The chart below depicts the partisanship of the Mississippi state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. Mississippi has consistently ranked in the bottom-2 of the SQLI ranking regardless of a trifecta or a divided government. The state has been ranked in the last place for fifteen separate years and ranked 49th six separate years. Mississippi had two trifecta, both Democratic and Republican, between 2000 and 2004 and in 2012, respectively.

• SQLI average with Democratic trifecta: 49.75
• SQLI average with Republican trifecta: 50
• SQLI average with divided government: 49.69

Historical officeholders[edit]

There have been 65 governors since 1817. Of the 65 officeholders, seven were Republican, 52 were Democrat, one was Whig, one was Union-Democratic, one was Provisional, one was Military, and three are unknown.^[19]

List of officeholders from 1817-present
#	Name	Tenure	Party
1	David Holmes	1817 - 1820	Democratic
2	George Poindexter	1820 - 1822	Democratic
3	Walter Leake	1822 - 1825	Democratic
4	Gerard Chittocque Brandon	1825 - 1826	Unknown
5	David Holmes	1826 - 1826	Democratic
6	Gerard Chittocque Brandon	1826 - 1832	Unknown
7	Abram Marshall Scott	1832 - 1833	Democratic
8	Charles Lynch	1833 - 1833	Democratic
9	Hiram George Runnels	1833 - 1835	Democratic
10	John Anthony Quitman	1835 - 1836	Democratic
11	Charles Lynch	1836 - 1838	Whig
12	Alexander Gallatin Mcnutt	1838 - 1842	Democratic
13	Tilghman Mayfield Tucker	1842 - 1844	Democratic
14	Albert Gallatin Brown	1844 - 1848	Democratic
15	Joseph W. Matthews	1848 - 1850	Democratic
16	John Anthony Quitman	1850 - 1851	Democratic
17	John Isaac Guion	1851 - 1851	Democratic
18	James Whitfield	1851 - 1852	Democratic
19	Henry Stuart Foote	1852 - 1854	Union-Democratic
20	John Jones Pettus	1854 - 1854	Democratic
21	John Jones McRae	1854 - 1857	Democratic
22	William McWillie	1857 - 1859	Democratic
23	John Jones Pettus	1859 - 1863	Democratic
24	Charles Clark	1863 - 1865	Democratic
25	William Lewis Sharkey	1865 - 1865	Provisional
26	Benjamin Grubb Humphreys	1865 - 1868	Democratic
27	Adelbert Ames	1868 - 1870	Military
28	James Lusk Alcorn	1870 - 1871	Republican
29	Ridgely Ceylon Powers	1871 - 1874	Unknown
30	Adelbert Ames	1874 - 1876	Republican
31	John Marshall Stone	1876 - 1882	Democratic
32	Robert Lowry	1882 - 1890	Democratic
33	John Marshall Stone	1890 - 1896	Democratic
34	Anselm McLaurin	1896 - 1900	Democratic
35	Andrew Houston Longino	1900 - 1904	Democratic
36	James Vardaman	1904 - 1908	Democratic
37	Edmond Favor Noel	1908 - 1912	Democratic
38	Earl Leroy Brewer	1912 - 1916	Democratic
39	Theodore Gilmore Bilbo	1916 - 1920	Democratic
40	Lee Maurice Russell	1920 - 1924	Democratic
41	Henry Lewis Whitfield	1924 - 1927	Democratic
42	Dennis Herron Murphree	1927 - 1928	Democratic
43	Theodore Gilmore Bilbo	1928 - 1932	Democratic
44	Martin Sennet Conner	1932 - 1936	Democratic
45	Hugh Lawson White	1936 - 1940	Democratic
46	Paul B. Johnson Sr.	1940 - 1943	Democratic
47	Dennis Herron Murphree	1943 - 1944	Democratic
48	Thomas Lowry Bailey	1944 - 1946	Democratic
49/50[20]	Fielding Lewis Wright	1946 - 1952	Democratic
51	Hugh Lawson White	1952 - 1956	Democratic
52	James Plemon Coleman	1956 - 1960	Democratic
53	Ross Robert Barnett	1960 - 1964	Democratic
54	Paul B. Johnson Jr.	1964 - 1968	Democratic
55	John Bell Williams	1968 - 1972	Democratic
56	William Lowe Waller	1972 - 1976	Democratic
57	Charles Clifton Finch	1976 - 1980	Democratic
58	William Forrest Winter	1980 - 1984	Democratic
59	William A. Allain	1984 - 1988	Democratic
60	Raymond Edwin Mabus	1988 - 1992	Democratic
61	Daniel Kirkwood Fordice	1992 - 2000	Republican
62	David Ronald "Ronnie" Musgrove	2000 - 2004	Democratic
63	Haley Barbour	2004 - 2012	Republican
64	Phil Bryant	2012 - 2020	Republican
65	Tate Reeves	2020 - Present	Republican

Recent news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Mississippi Governor. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Contact information[edit]

P.O. Box 139
Jackson, Mississippi 39205
Phone: 601-359-3150
E-mail: governor@govreeves.ms.gov

See also[edit]

• Mississippi state executive offices
• Mississippi state executive officials

External links[edit]

• Governor of Mississippi
• Official State of Mississippi Website
• Secretary of State, "Qualifications and Fees for Mississippi Candidates"

Footnotes[edit]

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