Republican Tate Reeves, Democrat Jim Hood to face off in Mississippi gubernatorial election

Mississippi's Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves won the Republican nomination for governor on Tuesday night, defeating retired Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. in a primary runoff.

Reeves will face off against the Democratic nominee, state Attorney General Jim Hood, in November's general election. Reeves told supporters at his victory party that Hood is a "liberal Democrat," and will "tell you that welfare and Washington are the only things we need."


In response, Hood said Reeves ran a "negative campaign. The reason he didn't talk about the issues is because he doesn't have any." In comparison, Waller ran a "gentlemanly race," Hood said, and he is hopeful some of his supporters will back him in the general election. If Hood wins in November, he will be the first Democratic governor to lead the state since 2003.

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