JACKSON, Miss.–Mississippi’s lieutenant governor and state treasurer both filed for re-election Monday. The two will both be seeking second terms in office after being elected in 2011 and taking office in 2012. Both are Republicans.
Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, 40, filed his papers Monday. He was state treasurer before his election to the number two spot in state government. His competition this year includes Democrat Tim Johnson, of Madison County, a former state senator who announced two weeks ago that he would be running. Johnson switched parties to run against Reeves.
State Treasurer Lynn Fitch said Monday in a statement that she will run on a campaign of fiscal conservatism.
“Just this week, we will close on another state bond sale that includes a refinancing deal that will save taxpayers another $36.3 million,” said Fitch. “Those savings—over $69 million now—reflect a consistent effort to manage our long-term debt proactively based on a career spent in public finance. That approach also led to preparation of the state’s first Debt Affordability Study.”
Fitch said her office refinanced state debt and saved Mississippi taxpayers $33 Million in her first term.
She also said she believes the state treasurer’s Unclaimed Property Fund has returned $38 million to Mississippians.
Fitch’s competition includes David McRae, 34, of the McRae’s department store family, who worked in TV and film before returning to Mississippi from California.
“I am alarmed and outraged at the corruption in our state government,” said McRae in a recent statement. “We need a reformer from outside government to come in and clean up this mess. We have to root out the waste, fraud and abuse and start protecting Mississippi taxpayers.”
All state-wide elected offices will be up for election this year.
