Down-ticket Mississippi candidates stump for votes at Neshoba County Fair

PHILADELPHIA, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi candidates flocked to the Neshoba County Fair, an annual gathering that draws large crowds to the red clay hills in the eastern part of the state, for a second round of political speeches Thursday. The gubernatorial candidates also spoke Thursday.

Party primaries are Aug. 8, with runoffs Aug. 29, and the general election Nov. 7. Candidates for attorney general, agriculture commissioner and lieutenant governor spoke Wednesday. Here’s some of what candidates for secretary of state, treasurer and auditor said Thursday:

SECRETARY OF STATE

Republican incumbent Michael Watson said his office has been working to restore confidence in Mississippi’s election process. That has included backing a law to strengthen proof of citizenship requirements for voting and shoring up paper trails for voting machines. Watson said he helped trim voter rolls that he believed were outdated in counties across the state. He said he supports efforts to crack down on “ballot harvesting” and improve record-keeping protocols for small businesses. If reelected, Watson said he will conduct post-election audits in all 82 counties.

Democratic challenger Shuwaski Young, who previously worked for the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office and in the Department of Homeland Security during Barack Obama’s presidency, said he wants the state’s election system to change. He thinks he can achieve that by expanding early voting, mail-in ballots and online voter registration. He also wants to ease the process of filing campaign finance reports. He said he plans on making the secretary of state’s website more user-friendly for small businesses. He also pledged to work with Republicans to monitor the state’s voter rolls.

STATE TREASURER

Republican incumbent David McRae promised to preserve the state’s credit rating if he’s reelected. “I promise to be fiscally responsible with your money,” he said. “And I promise to be conservative, a real conservative.” McRae said he has successfully refinanced the state’s debt and has made quality investments on the state’s behalf. He pledged to fight against President Joe Biden’s efforts to crack down on tax evasion by strengthening the Internal Revenue Service. He also repeated his vow to stop “woke investment policies” like ESG, an acronym that refers to environmentally and socially conscious investing.

Democratic challenger Addie Lee Green previously worked for General Motors and served as an election commissioner and alderwoman in Bolton. She lamented hospital closures and said she supports Medicaid expansion to ease the financial burden for low-income Mississippians who need health care services. “Some of our legislators have been serving too long and went to sleep,” Green said. She also wants to reduce barriers to entering Mississippi’s medical marijuana industry. Mississippi should raise its minimum wage to $15 per hour, up from the federal minimum of $7.25, Green said.

STATE AUDITOR

Republican incumbent Shad White could not attend the fair because he was on duty as a captain for the Mississippi Air National Guard. Republican state Rep. Scott Bounds, who is chairman of the Neshoba County Fair Commission, read a statement from White that said the auditor’s office has recovered more money over the past five years than during any other five-year period in state history. White was appointed by then-Gov. Phil Bryant in 2018 and elected to a full term in 2019. “We make the people who steal your money famous on Facebook after they do so, and I’ll never apologize for that,” White’s statement said.

Democratic challenger Larry Bradford is a former mayor of Anguilla. He said Mississippi is filled with generous people who come to each other’s aid during natural disasters and other challenges. Bradford said he would be laser-focused on protecting public money and not get distracted by hot-button social issues. He accused White of attacking public universities by going after Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives. Bradford said White has put his political ambitions above his responsibilities as state auditor. “Vote Brad, not Shad,” Bradford said.

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Goldberg reported from from Jackson, Mississippi.