Republican Delbert Hosemann cruised to another term as Mississippi’s lieutenant governor, defeating Democratic challenger D. Ryan Grover on Tuesday night.
When the race was called early in the evening, Hosemann was already up by nearly 30 points. Hosemann, who previously served as secretary of state before being elected to a first term in 2019, said some of his first steps in a new term will be trying to make community college free and find a solution to the state’s ongoing healthcare crisis.
“Now, we’ll start on last-dollar tuition at community colleges for our young people to continue their education either to get a certificate or to go all the way to university. I think that will be one of the major things going forward,” Hosemann said. “We are also going to discuss the receipt and delivery of healthcare going forward.”
Hosemann added that he plans to continue “running the state like a business,” referencing recent income tax cuts and the state being able to pay off $500 million in debt over the last couple of years.
“We haven’t borrowed any money in two years, and that puts us in a position really to be able to fund the future in Mississippi and to have a culture of opportunity here in Mississippi,” Hosemann said.
Grover, in his first bid at a statewide elected position, proved largely absent on the campaign trail, missing vital stumps at both the Neshoba County Fair and the Mississippi Economic Council’s annual Hobnob event.
Hosemann, along with every other official elected this cycle, will be inaugurated in January. The full results from Mississippi’s general election can be found here.
Other statewide races called early
- Attorney General: Incumbent Republican Lynn Fitch defeated Democratic challenger Greta Kemp Martin. Fitch, key in overturning Roe v. Wade, said she will continue to crack down on sex trafficking and fentanyl distribution while serving as the state’s top legal counsel.
- Secretary of State: Incumbent Republican Michael Watson defeated last-minute Democratic challenger Ty Pinkins. Watson plans to continue educating young people on the voting process while reducing regulations on businesses.
- State Auditor: Incumbent Republican Shad White defeated Democratic challenger Larry Bradford. White vows to continue clawing back misspent taxpayer dollars.
- State Treasurer: Incumbent Republican David McRae defeated Democratic challenger Addie Lee Green. McRae wants to use the next four years to return more unclaimed money while furthering the state’s college savings program.
- Ag Commissioner: Incumbent Republican Andy Gipson defeated Democratic challenger Robert Bradford. Gipson wants to supply solutions to the ongoing drought and its victims while supplying residents with locally grown produce amid record inflation.
- Insurance Commissioner: Incumbent Republican Mike Chaney will continue his reign as the longest-standing elected official in Mississippi, defeating Democratic challenger Bruce Burton. Chaney plans to expand insurance coverage over all major industries while pushing insurance companies to charge low or fair rates to consumers.
