• Mississippi’s Neshoba County Fair will feature speeches from 16 politicians and elected officials.
• The event is a key venue for candidates to address voters ahead of upcoming statewide elections.
• Speakers include Gov. Tate Reeves, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, and candidates for governor and lieutenant governor.
• The fair has historically hosted prominent political figures, including Ronald Reagan and Michael Dukakis.

Mississippi’s preeminent political speaking event returns to Philadelphia in late June, bringing together the candidates who hope to occupy the state’s highest offices come next year.

The Neshoba County Fair, Mississippi’s biggest house party, is a time-honored public speaking venue dating back decades that has received presidential and gubernatorial candidates. Those less interested in political stump speeches can watch horse racing and attend concerts during the weeklong celebration.

The fair has long served as a conduit for politicians, mostly conservative Republicans, to get their message to a friendly audience in person and the state at large. Freshly elected officeholders typically use the Neshoba podium to excite constituents with promises of what’s to come. Less than two years away from a critical statewide election, candidates will be stirring up support in some races that are likely to become very crowded very soon.

Who will be speaking at the Neshoba County Fair?

The fair is more than a week long, but political speaking takes up less than three hours of the event’s proceedings. Sixteen politicians and elected officials will address the audience on Wednesday, June 24, and Thursday, June 25.

Speakers will include a mix of local and statewide representatives, many of whom are vying for reelection or new positions next year. November’s elections will see the first opportunity this decade for Mississippi voters to elevate a new candidate to the governor’s office, along with every other statewide position and the state Legislature.

Speakers at Neshoba will include:

• State Sen. Lane Taylor, R-Philadelphia
• Michael Chiaradio, Democratic candidate for U.S. House of Representatives District 3
• Ty Pinkins, Independent candidate for U.S. Senate
• Scott Colom, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate
• David McRae, State Treasurer
• Lynn Fitch, Attorney General
• Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann
• State Rep. Scott Bounds, R-Philadelphia
• De’Keither Stamps, Public Service Commissioner for the Central Dsitrict
• Willie Simmons, Transportation Commissioner for the Central District
• Jenifer Branning, Supreme Court Justice
• Kenny Griffis, Supreme Court Justice
• Andy Gipson, Agriculture Commissioner and candidate for Governor
• Michael Watson, Secretary of State and candidate for lieutenant governor
• Jason White, Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives
• Gov. Tate Reeves

What will candidates talk about at Neshoba?

Whatever they discuss, political speakers have no more than 10 minutes to get their point across to the audience at the fairgrounds. None of the people speaking have publicly announced the content of their speech, but past speeches and upcoming elections can give some insight into the talking points Mississippians can expect.

More than half of the lineup will see an election this year or next year, so their speeches will likely serve to promote themselves and their campaign.

Chiaradio, Pinkins and Colom are all challenging incumbent Republicans on the federal level in November; neither of the current officeholders will speak at Neshoba. Listeners will hear about the policies that each candidate would implement in their positions, accompanied by potential criticisms of the incumbents.

Half a dozen speakers were offered a spot in the lineup because they represent Neshoba County, like Philadelphia-based Sen. Lane Taylor and Rep. Scott Bounds. Taylor recently completed his first full legislative session after taking office in late April 2025. Bounds is the president of the Neshoba County Fair Association.

Perhaps the most high-stakes speeches will come in the second half of both days when statewide politicians will take the stage. Six of the eight highest-ranking officials representing Mississippians are on the schedule.

They will likely be split into two groups: those promoting what they’ve accomplished so far, and those laying plans for the future.

In the first camp is Treasurer David McRae, Attorney General Lynn Fitch, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and Gov. Tate Reeves. None of them have announced what they may run for in 2027, although longstanding speculation indicates that both Hosemann and Fitch are weighing gubernatorial runs.

Reeves is term-limited and has not indicated which position, if any, he will pursue when his time in the governor’s mansion comes to an end. Many former governors have pursued federal office or found a home in Washington lobbying firms.

Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson and Secretary of State Michael Watson will probably take a different approach. Both have declared their campaigns for higher office, Gipson for governor and Watson for lieutenant governor, meaning that Neshoba is a golden opportunity for each to proselytize.

More on candidates: Who is running for Mississippi governor, other state offices in 2027?

Who has spoken at Neshoba in the past?

Several notable figures have addressed the Neshoba crowds in the fair’s history, although it hasn’t seen a presidential candidate since Democratic Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis in 1988. Shortly before Dukakis, in 1980, Ronald Reagan stopped in the Magnolia State to rally support for his presidential bid.

Donald Trump Jr., the then-candidate’s eldest son, spoke at Neshoba in 2016 on behalf of his father. Since then, the focus has largely been on local and statewide races in Mississippi. Neshoba is considered a rite of passage and proving ground for any gubernatorial hopeful.

How can I go to the Neshoba County Fair?

The Neshoba County Fair will take place between June 19-26. It will feature an art show, daily concerts and horse racing, among many other activities.

A day pass to the fair costs $30, while a season pass costs $60. Children who are 9 years old or younger will be allowed in for free.

Bea Anhuci is the state government reporter for the Clarion Ledger. She has covered Mississippi politics since the start of 2026. Email her at banhuci@usatodayco.com.

Salina Post

Granny’s Alliance, based out of Gulfport, Mississippi, is offering free shower and laundry services this week for residents affected by the June 8 storm.

Services are available at Grand Avenue United Methodist Church, 304 W. Grand St. in Salina, and will be open from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily through Friday, June 19.

Staff members will be on hand to help ensure the facilities remain clean and available for residents using the service.

Please bring your own soap, towels, detergent, and other shower or laundry supplies if you have them.

Free supplies will be available for those who do not have what they need.

On the third and final night of the Miss Mississippi 2026 preliminaries, four competitors walked away Friday, June 12, with awards in the pageant.

Preliminary rounds for the 2026 competition started June 10 and ended June 12. Contestants divided into groups, with each group competing in contests every night at 8 p.m. for the preliminaries.

Anna Leah Jolly was crowned Miss Mississippi in 2025. A new winner will be crowned after the finale, which is set for 8 p.m. Saturday, June 13. The finale will be held at the Vicksburg Convention Center.

The winner of Miss Mississippi 2026 will go on to compete in the Miss America pageant. The Miss America 2027 competition will be held Aug. 28 through Sept. 6, 2026, in West Palm Beach, Florida, with the crowning of the 99th Miss America on Sept. 6 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.

On Friday, preliminary awards were handed out in two categories: fitness and talent. There was a three-way tie in the fitness competition, and one winner was chosen in the talent competition.

Day 1 of prelims: Who won awards at Miss Mississippi 2026 first preliminary competitions

Day 2 of prelims: Three contestants win awards at Miss Mississippi 2026 second preliminary round. See who

Who were the Miss Mississippi 2026 preliminary winners for June 12?

• Fitness: Miss Starkville — Morgan Nelson; Miss Capital City — Jane Granberry; ​and Miss Barnes Crossing — Jaycee Drew Janzen
• Talent: Miss New South — Kayla Braswell

How to watch the Miss Mississippi 2026 competition

To watch the pageant in-person, tickets cost $50 and are available for purchase through the Miss Mississippi website.

Livestream tickets cost $35 for the finale and are available for purchase at missmisslive.com.

The finale will also air on television at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 13, on the following channels:

• WDAM, Hattiesburg
• WLBT, Jackson
• WLOX, Biloxi
• WMC Bounce, Memphis
• WTVA, Tupelo
• WTOK, Meridian

Who are the judges for Miss Mississippi 2026?

The Miss Mississippi Organization announced the judges for this year’s competition are:

• C.J. Pearson — an American conservative activist from Georgia
• Mistie Knight — a Mississippi native crowned Miss Pontotoc 2002 then later Miss Las Vegas 2006
• Dana Rosengard — a Miss America Organization volunteer since 1991
• Leah Walker — a Georgia native crowned Miss Georgia 2007 then later placed in Top 10 Miss America Pageant
• Debbie Butcher — the executive director of the Miss PA Scholarship Foundation, Inc., based in Pennsylvania

Pam Dankins is the breaking news reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Have a tip? Email her at pdankins@gannett.com.