• Mississippi Democrats are struggling to find a candidate for the 2027 gubernatorial election despite a close race in 2023.
• The national Democratic party has increased its financial investment in the state, signaling a growing interest in the region.
• Many in the party hope former candidate Brandon Presley will run again, as he came within 30,000 votes of the incumbent in 2023.
• Political strategists believe a Democratic candidate could still win by focusing on local issues and voter dissatisfaction with current leadership.

Imagine yourself as a Mississippi Democrat.

The election for governor in 2023 was a feat, with a Democratic candidate who came close to ousting an incumbent — 26,000 votes close.

Republican-led redistricting on the horizon is likely a net loss for your party, but it has had the unintended consequence of stirring up some previously jaded voters. The national party is looking at you more closely, too. The party and its affiliated committees have poured nearly $140,000 into your state organization since the start of the year.

And prognosticators say there is hope for you in the midterms yet: some of your candidates for U.S. House and Senate are outraising their incumbent opponents handily and drumming up support throughout the reliably red state.

The governor election in 2027 is a crucial moment, and a crowded Republican field could divide the voter base enough for your candidate to do what Brandon Presley almost managed last time around. There’s one big problem, though. There’s less than a year until the primary election, and the leaders of your party don’t have a candidate.

‘Waiting as long as we can’

There isn’t one path to the governor’s office, but the vast majority of successful candidates have made their way to the seat through other statewide positions.

Gov. Tate Reeves and his predecessor Phil Bryant both launched their gubernatorial campaigns from the lieutenant governor’s office. Two of the Republican candidates for governor occupy statewide positions now, and the third gained state and national attention for his work in the Mississippi House of Representatives.

There are no Democratic politicians in any statewide position, and though some hold regional seats as transportation or public service commissioners, lawmakers have generally agreed that they lack the name recognition for a run at the governor’s seat.

A Democratic legislator recounted to the Clarion Ledger a May conversation between three party members weighing a potential candidate. The legislator, who was granted anonymity to discuss internal party discussions, said the call ended as it began: without any ideas.

“Every person we’d suggest, someone would have a good reason to take them out of consideration,” the lawmaker said. “One person didn’t have enough experience, another was good on paper but not personable enough to win people over, the third wouldn’t be able to bring in any Republicans.”

The lawmaker indicated, in a sentiment that seems to echo around the Capitol, that 2023 Democratic candidate Brandon Presley is the party’s best prospect. Presley is a former public service commissioner with a very famous family.

Presley didn’t win, but his success marked a victory for the party. Rep. Robert Johnson, D-Natchez, the House minority leader and one of the longest serving legislators in the party, said officials are “waiting as long as we can to see if he would be interested in running again.”

Immediately after the 2023 election, Presley refused to rule out a second attempt at the governor’s office. In that cycle, he declared his candidacy in January 2023, just eight months before the primary and 11 months before the general election. When asked on Aug. 6 whether he planned to run for governor, he didn’t indicate one way or another, saying that he would let the Clarion Ledger know if he had any announcements.

The Clarion Ledger asked more than a dozen Democratic lawmakers in the state Legislature whether they would consider running for governor, and the response from the majority of them was lukewarm. Many legislators said they would not want to give up their seat in a safely Democratic district to run what they viewed as a long-shot, rushed campaign.

‘The national party is willing to commit’

For years, Mississippi has ranked among the most Republican states. The national Democratic Party has largely directed its efforts, and dollars, to states with more competitive races. That approach has evolved recently, said a party employee granted anonymity to discuss the group’s financial strategy with the Clarion Ledger.

“We want to invest money into Southern states,” the official said in a June interview. “Democrats are winning in the South, and even when they’re not winning, they’re making a name for themselves and the party in groups that have lost confidence in us.”

The party employee pointed to Scott Colom, a district attorney challenging Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith for a U.S. Senate seat, as an example of successful grassroots campaigning that has gained traction. Colom is traveling throughout Mississippi doing the kind of “door-knocking and handshaking” that translates into November votes, they said.

The Democratic National Committee and its affiliated Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund have contributed significant amounts to the Mississippi Democratic Party this year, which intensified in April when Reeves brought the topic of redistricting to the Legislature’s doorstep.

Reeves announced on April 24 a redistricting special session to address the configuration of the state’s Supreme Court districts. That day, the national Democratic Party funneled $22,500 into the state party’s piggy bank. Just over a month later, the grassroots victory fund made a $25,600 contribution.

“The national party is willing to commit hundreds of thousands of dollars, probably more than a million, to a competitive, eager Democrat who wants to be the governor,” the party official said. “Everyone is upset about the economy and the war and the state of health care, and even lifelong Republicans are potentially looking for something new. We have an incredible opportunity to take advantage of this frustration; we just need the state officials to give us a name to rally behind.”

The national party is not the only one pouring money into the Magnolia State. American Bridge 21st Century, the largest progressive super PAC in the country, is making a $2 million advertising investment in Mississippi ahead of the midterms to support Colom.

A similarly “exciting and marketable” candidate for governor, the national party employee said, would almost certainly be able to bring in comparable support.

Is all hope lost for Mississippi Democrats?

Campaigns are like snowflakes, said Democratic strategist Letitia Jackson, in that no two are identical. What they all have in common, she said, is a focus on two elements: familiarity and money.

Jackson has worked primarily on campaigns for U.S. House and Senate, but she said that governor races are close to those because both require statewide support and tend to stretch into the upper levels of spending. When asked about the 2027 elections in Mississippi, she warned that the Democratic Party needs to take action as quickly as possible.

“We’re not at the tornado siren yet, but the alarm bells are ringing,” she said in a July 21 interview. “Someone notable needs to step up, with the full support of the state party, and embrace campaigning with their whole heart if we’re going to run a serious race here.”

Jackson argued that there are benefits to delaying a candidate announcement. While jumping into the race at the first opportunity lets you spend years, not months, building a brand for yourself among your potential voters, she said, it also demands a continuous donation stream that many people can’t maintain.

The party is at a slight advantage in that arena, Jackson said, because it has received large cash infusions from the national party in recent months. It is unclear whether the national Democratic Party, in the midst of a donation slump, can keep disbursing that money in Mississippi indefinitely.

Her assessment, Jackson told the Clarion Ledger, was that a year is “workable” for Mississippi Democrats if they “pursue an aggressive ground game and make up ground where Republicans are losing it.”

“A lot of people are upset with the current administrations, Trump and Tate [Reeves], and that’s where they need to get in,” Jackson said. “The Democrats need to run an all-out campaign: town halls across the state, a platform that focuses on cost of living and health care, support locally from the people in office now.”

People feel differently about their local representatives, from school board members to state lawmakers, than they do about the candidates on a statewide ballot, Jackson said.

“They vote for the governor because he’s a Republican; they vote for their state senator because he sits in their row at church and once spent two hours walking them through a government website,” she said. “A Democratic candidate [for governor] needs to forge those relationships on the local level and navigate the campaign with that crucial support.”

Jackson’s final verdict: Democrats can still win if they move fast. Johnson made the same prediction.

Johnson acknowledged how “extremely frustrating” it is to watch the clock tick down without a candidate and asked Democratic voters in the state to “be patient.

PEARL – Natchez native and Delta State University coaching great Ronnie Mayers received one of the greatest honors any sports figure in Mississippi could ever get as he was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame on Aug. 1 at the Clyde Muse Center in Pearl.

Mayers made a name for himself coaching and promoting the sport of swimming in Cleveland and the state of Mississippi.

Mayers, 74, began the age group swimming program the Delta Aquatic Club in 1974, which has given many youth a chance to participate and compete in swimming. Ten years later at Delta State University, Mayers, with support from then athletic director Dr. Brad Hovious, started the men’s and women’s swimming programs at the university as he was named the head coach for both programs.

During a 20-year run leading the teams, Mayers guided the Statesmen to six New South Intercollegiate Swim Conference Championships and the Lady Statesmen to five NSISC Titles with both programs combining for 15 NCAA Division II National Championship appearances.

The two programs ended up having a combined 220 all-conference swimmers, 113 individual conference champions and 56 All-Americans in Mayers’ tenure. Also during Mayers’ run, DSU had an individual national championship on the men’s side as Justin Whitaker won the 100-yard backstroke (48.95) at the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving National Championships in 2002. The swimming facility at Delta State University is named the Ronald G. Mayers Aquatic Center.

After his time as swim coach concluded, Mayers served as DSU Athletic Director from 2013-18.

At the induction ceremony, Mayers had a lot of his family and friends and many of his former swimmers there to support him.

Mayers said he is blessed to be inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.

“It’s been a great weekend,” Mayers said. “It’s exciting to be in the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. The purpose of the hall of fame is to tell your story, and I’m excited the story I’ve been able to write over many years has come to today.

“I’ve already got some of my swimmers here that I’ve coached over the years. It’s been a great life, and I’m really excited.”

Tupelo came within one play of a state championship last season. Now the Golden Wave begin 2026 on top.

After falling to Gulfport on a dramatic Hail Mary in the Class 7A championship game, Tupelo opens at No. 1 in High School On SI’s Top 25 Mississippi Preseason Football State Rankings, leading a field that includes defending champions, established powers and several teams poised for major jumps this fall.

Defending Class 7A champion Gulfport opens at No. 4, and a championship rematch remains a possibility in December.

Ocean Springs joins Gulfport as the only other team from the Mississippi Gulf Coast inside the top 10.

Starkville rounds out the Top 10, giving North Mississippi four teams among the first 10.

Nos. 11-20 include Jackson Academy, the lone MAIS program in the Top 25, along with perennial contenders Picayune, Louisville and Grenada.

Finally, as we round out the top 25, Hattiesburg and their high-flying offense comes in at 21, and Clinton, who is the only team that had a losing record last season in the rankings, rounds out the top 25.

Last season: 13-2

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: 6

The Golden Wave have reached the point where they do not rebuild, they reload. With the departure of J.J. Hill to Mississippi State, Kylan Bobo will step into the role as the feature back. Meanwhile, Devontray Brewer is back for another season as he leads one of the most talented defenses in the state.

Last season: 7-6

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: Unranked

Led by quarterback Sladen Shack and running back Tyson Robinson, the Bulldogs face an immediate test with Warren Central, Tupelo and Madison Central to open the season.

Last season: 9-4

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: 19

With quarterback Kellen Hall back for one more season, the Warriors should have one of the most prolific passing offenses in the state.

Last season: 12-2

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: 1

After defeating Tupelo 21-20 on a Hail Mary in the Class 7A state championship game, the Admirals are poised to make it back to the state championship game. With the departure of Cooper Crosby to Mississippi State, Amijai Frederick will look to be the focal point of the run game.

Last season: 6-5

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: Unranked

Quarterback Tripp Smith will look to take the next step as a leader for the Jaguars’ offense after he passed for more than 1,800 yards and 18 touchdowns last season.

Last season: 9-2

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: 23

With the departure of running back Solomon Baggett, who rushed for more than 1,400 yards last season, the Greyhounds will look to lean on Lanny Waltman in the ground game.

Last season: 13-1

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: 5

West Point remains one of Mississippi’s most consistent championship contenders. The Green Wave will look to bounce back after their upset loss to Brookhaven in the Class 5A title game. Their quest for a 14th state title will begin versus Neshoba Central on August 21.

Last season: 12-2

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: 2

Led by standout quarterback and Mississippi State commit, Nash Morgan, the Vikings will look to repeat as the Class 6A state champions.

Last season: 11-2

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: 12

The biggest question for Oxford is replacing Drew Dean, who transferred to Tupelo, and Knox Kiffin, now at University Lab in Baton Rouge. However, the Chargers are talented on offense, and they return their top rusher and pass catcher from a season ago.

Last season: 6-5

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: Unranked

Just when Starkville appears ready to take a step back, the Yellow Jackets often find a way to reenter the championship conversation. Starkville pulls a few tricks out of the hat, and then they emerge as one of the top teams in the state. This year could very well be that year as they are led by one of the most electric playmakers in the state at quarterback in Kingston Johnson.

Last season: 10-3

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: 14

The Maroon Tide, who have been one of the most consistent programs in the state for decades, has arguably the toughest opening two-game stretch in Mississippi this season when they host Gulfport and Jackson Academy.

Last season: 11-1

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: 8

Good luck getting to the Raiders’ quarterback this season as the offensive line is anchored by the four-star prospect and the state’s No. 1-ranked player, Caden Moss, and three-star PJ Evans.

Last season: 12-3

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: 3

After defeating the Green Wave in the Class 5A state title last season, the Panthers are out to prove last year’s championship was the beginning of a sustained run. They return Jaden Allen as well who passed for more than 1,900 yards and rushed for over 800 yards with 39 total touchdowns.

Last season: 10-3

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: 13

Led by Zaiden Jernigan, who is one of the top offensive playmakers in the state, the Wildcats will be one of the favorites for the Class 4A title as we enter the season.

Last season: 8-4

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: 18

Before district play begins at Starkville on October 9, the Mavericks have a difficult three-game stretch to start the season when they take on Northwest Rankin, Oak Grove and Warren Central.

Last season: 8-5

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: Unranked

Two of Petal’s first five games come against defending state champions. The Panthers will be in a good position for the rest of the season if they enter October at 3-2.

Last season: 6-5

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: Unranked

The Cougars have one of the toughest schedules in the state this season as they take on seven teams in our preseason top 25 rankings.

Last season: 15-0

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: 4

After capturing the Class 4A title last season, the Wildcats will begin the 2026 season at Hancock.

Last season: 8-3

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: 24

With district games versus Ocean Springs and Gulfport this season, the Warriors will have their work cut out for them as they chase the district title.

Last season: 7-4

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: Unranked

The Chargers hit the ground running with three straight road games to start the season at Itawamba, Ripley and Callaway.

Last season: 12-3

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: 10

The Tigers will have one of the most prolific passing offenses in the state with the return of Gavin Ducksworth, who passed for more than 2,800 yards and 28 touchdowns last season.

Last season: 9-3

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: 21

The Gators have one of the most interesting matchups on paper in Week 1 of the season when they take on PURE Academy (TN).

Last season: 12-3

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: 25

With Chase Craft returning to lead the offense, the Oilers appear to be one of the early favorites to win it all in Class 2A this season.

Last season: 10-2

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: 22

The Tigers return one of the top receivers in the state in Sheldon Isaac, who hauled in more than 1,000 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns last season.

Last season: 4-6

Final Top 25 2025 ranking: Unranked

With the return of Jayden Jones and Braylon Lowery on offense, the Arrows should have one of the most improved offenses in the state this season.

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