Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson has announced his plans to run for reelection.
Watson, a former state senator, was elected to office in 2019, taking over the seat that was left vacant by current Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann.
Although it had been rumored that Watson was contemplating a run for governor, the Republican took to social media to proclaim that he is looking to continue the work he and his team have been doing to secure statewide elections and to cut regulations on businesses in the state.
“During my time in public service, I’ve done my best to serve all Mississippians. The more we work as a team for the common good as opposed to working for credit, the better off we’ll be,” Watson wrote. “While I believe Mississippi would be more prosperous with better leadership at the top, leadership that fostered teamwork as opposed to micromanagement, that cared more for Mississippi than politics, I’m not at peace leaving the work we’ve started here at the SOS office because there’s more to do.”
As of now, Watson and Democrat Shuwaski Young are the only two candidates vying for the position.
The deadline for candidates to qualify to run for state office is Wednesday, February 1 at 5 p.m.
