Michael Watson | |
---|---|
36th Secretary of State of Mississippi | |
Assumed office January 9, 2020 | |
Governor | Tate Reeves |
Preceded by | Delbert Hosemann |
Member of the Mississippi Senate from the 51st district | |
In office January 8,2008 –January 7,2020 | |
Preceded by | Tommy Robertson |
Succeeded by | Jeremy England |
Personal details | |
Born | Pascagoula,Mississippi,U.S. | December 22,1977
Political party | Republican |
Education | University of Mississippi (BBA,JD) |
Michael D. Watson Jr. (born December 22,1977) [1] is an American politician and the incumbent Secretary of State of Mississippi. [2] A Republican,he previously represented the 51st district in the Mississippi State Senate from 2008 to 2020.
Watson is an attorney from Pascagoula,Mississippi. He ran in the 2007 Mississippi elections for the state senate against Tommy Robertson,and won. [3] Watson considered running for governor of Mississippi in the 2015 Mississippi gubernatorial election,but opted to run for reelection instead. [4]
While in the Mississippi Senate,Watson voted against legislation that would make it easier for college students in Mississippi to vote with absentee ballots;under the legislation,students would have been allowed to use college registrars as witnesses for their absentee ballot application. [5]
In the 2019 Mississippi elections,Watson ran for Secretary of State of Mississippi. [6] He defeated Sam Britton in the Republican primary, [7] and defeated Johnny DuPree in the general election on November 5. [8] He was sworn-in to the office on January 9,2020. [9]
In a television interview on March 26,2021,Watson expressed concern that "woke" college students in Mississippi,among others,would vote,falsely claiming that an Executive Order by President Biden on March 6,2021,would automatically register people to vote. [10] [5] Watson also falsely claimed that people would be sneakily registered without their knowledge. [5]
After considering challenging Tate Reeves in the 2023 Mississippi gubernatorial election, [11] Watson elected instead to run for reelection. [12] He defeated Democrat Ty Pinkins to win a second term. [13]
The Mississippi Republican Party is the Mississippi state affiliate of the United States Republican Party. The party chairman is Frank Bordeaux,and the party is based in Jackson,Mississippi. The original Republican Party of Mississippi was founded following the American Civil War,and the current incarnation of the Mississippi Republican Party was founded in 1956. The party would grow in popularity after the 1964 Civil Rights Act and is currently the dominant party in the state.
A general election was held in Mississippi on November 4,2003,to elect to 4 year terms all members of the state legislature,the offices of Governor,Lieutenant Governor,Attorney General,State Treasurer,State Auditor,Secretary of State,Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce,and Commissioner of Insurance,plus all three members of the Transportation Commission and all three members of the Public Service Commission.
Jonathan Tate Reeves is an American politician serving since 2020 as the 65th governor of Mississippi. A member of the Republican Party,Reeves served as the 32nd lieutenant governor of Mississippi from 2012 to 2020 and as the 53rd Mississippi State Treasurer from 2004 to 2012.
Charles Delbert Hosemann Jr. is an American politician and attorney who has been the lieutenant governor of Mississippi since January 2020. From 2008 to 2020,he served as the secretary of state of Mississippi.
Dewey Phillip Bryant is an American politician who served as the 64th governor of Mississippi from 2012 to 2020. A member of the Republican Party,he was the 31st lieutenant governor of Mississippi from 2008 to 2012 and 40th state auditor of Mississippi from 1996 to 2008. Bryant was elected governor in 2011,defeating the Democratic nominee Mayor Johnny DuPree of Hattiesburg. He was re-elected in 2015,defeating Democratic nominee Robert Gray.
United States gubernatorial elections were held in four states in October and November 2011,with regularly scheduled elections in Kentucky,Mississippi,and Louisiana;and a special election in West Virginia. None of these four governorships changed party hands,with Democratic incumbents Steve Beshear and Earl Ray Tomblin winning in Kentucky and West Virginia,respectively;and Republicans re-electing Bobby Jindal in Louisiana and holding the open seat in Mississippi.
Johnny DuPree is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as the first African-American mayor of Hattiesburg,Mississippi from 2001 to 2017. He was the Democratic Party nominee for Governor of Mississippi in 2011,the first African-American major party nominee for Governor in Mississippi since the Reconstruction era.
Lynn Fitch is an American lawyer,politician,and the 40th Mississippi Attorney General. She is the first woman to serve in the role and the first Republican since 1878. Previously,she was the 54th State Treasurer of Mississippi from 2012 to 2020.
The 2015 Mississippi gubernatorial election took place on November 3,2015,to elect the Governor of Mississippi. Incumbent Republican Governor Phil Bryant ran for re-election to a second and final term in office. This is the highest percentage that a Republican has ever won in a gubernatorial election in Mississippi.
Brandon Everitt Presley is an American politician who served as a member of the Mississippi Public Service Commission from the Northern District from 2008 to 2024 and mayor of Nettleton,Mississippi,from 2001 to 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
The 2019 Mississippi gubernatorial election took place on November 5,2019,to choose the next Governor of Mississippi. Incumbent Governor Phil Bryant was ineligible to run for a third term due to term limits. The Democratic Party nominated incumbent Attorney General Jim Hood,the only Democrat holding statewide office in Mississippi;the Republican Party nominated incumbent Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves. In the general election,Reeves defeated Hood by a margin of 5.08%,with Reeves significantly underperforming Trump who won the state by 17 points,3 years prior.
United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 8,2022,in 36 states and three territories. As most governors serve four-year terms,the last regular gubernatorial elections for all but two of the seats took place in the 2018 U.S. gubernatorial elections. The gubernatorial elections took place concurrently with several other federal,state,and local elections,as part of the 2022 midterm elections.
The 2024 United States elections are scheduled to be held on Tuesday,November 5,2024. During this presidential election year,the president and vice president will be elected. In addition,all 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives and 34 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate will be contested to determine the membership of the 119th United States Congress. Thirteen state and territorial governorships and numerous other state and local elections will also be contested.
A general election was held in the U.S. state of Mississippi on November 5,2019. All executive offices in the state were up for election. The primary election was held on August 6,2019,and runoff elections were held on August 27,2019. Although the Democrats came close to winning the governorship,they ultimately failed to do so. In addition,they lost the sole statewide office they have held since 1878:the Attorney General.
United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 7,2023,in the states of Kentucky and Mississippi,with an election having occurred in Louisiana on October 14. These elections form part of the 2023 United States elections. The last regular gubernatorial elections for all three states were in 2019.
The 2023 United States elections were held,in large part,on Tuesday,November 7,2023. The off-year election included gubernatorial and state legislative elections in a few states,as well as numerous citizen initiatives,mayoral races,and a variety of other local offices on the ballot. At least three special elections to the United States Congress were scheduled as either deaths or vacancies arose. The Democratic Party retained control of the governorship in Kentucky,flipped the Wisconsin Supreme Court and held a seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court,gained six seats in the New Jersey General Assembly,and won back unified control of the Virginia General Assembly,while Republicans also flipped the governorship in Louisiana and narrowly retained Mississippi's governorship. The election cycle also saw Ohio voting to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution and legalize cannabis for recreational use. The results were widely seen as a success for the Democratic Party.
The 2023 Mississippi gubernatorial election was held on November 7,2023,to elect the governor of Mississippi. Incumbent Republican Governor Tate Reeves won re-election to a second term,defeating Democratic nominee,Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley.
Walter Michael Ezell is a former American law enforcement officer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Mississippi's 4th congressional district since 2023. He is a member of the Republican Party.
The 2023 Mississippi elections took place on November 7,2023,with the primary on August 8 and any required runoffs on August 29. All executive offices in the state up for election,as well as all 52 seats of the Mississippi State Senate,all 122 seats in the Mississippi House of Representatives,and many local offices. The qualifying deadline for all 2023 Mississippi races was February 1,2023.
A general election was held in the U.S. state of Mississippi on November 8,2011. All of Mississippi's executive offices were up for election,as well as legislative elections for the State Senate and House of Representatives. Primary elections were held on August 2,2011,with runoff elections on the 24th if needed. General election runoffs were held on November 29 if needed. Election results were certified by the Mississippi Secretary of State on December 8.