Reeves adds to huge campaign war chest; Presley garners many small donations

Incumbent Republican Gov. Tate Reeves continues to add to his large campaign war chest, reporting that he raised over $1 million for June and has $9.6 million in the bank.

Reeves’ Democratic opponent, Northern District PSC Commissioner Brandon Presley, reported raising over $500,000 for June, with $1.9 million on hand — a relatively strong showing for a Democrat in deep-red Mississippi.

Reeves’ largest donation for June was $500,000 from the Washington, D.C.-based Republican Mississippi Strong PAC. Other large donations included $50,000 from the Mississippi State University alumni PAC Bully Bloc and $50,000 from McCormick Drive LLC in Tampa, Florida. He received $25,000 from Louisiana-based Rouses Enterprises LLC and $15,000 from Mississippi Power Co. State PAC.

In a statement Reeves said: “I’m honored by the support I’ve received this cycle, most importantly from the voters of Mississippi. We’re delivering education results that lead the nation, growing our economy by bringing in more, high-paying jobs, and developing the best workforce around — Mississippians are eager to keep this momentum going.”

Reeves’ filing online with the secretary of state’s office, as of Tuesday, failed to list any of his campaign’s expenditures as required.

Andre Wagner, executive director of the Mississippi Democratic Party, blasted Reeves for the $500,000 donation from the Mississippi Strong PAC. He said the PAC donation appears to be proceeds from a Republican Governor’s Association fundraiser for Reeves in Alabama, and that Reeves left the state in the aftermath of several severe tornadoes to attend the fundraiser.

In a press release, the Democratic Party said Reeves “jetted off to Birmingham … while Mississippians were still reeling from several tornadoes that left severe damage and one person dead” for a fundraiser with ticket prices ranging from $5,000 for one person to $50,000 for four people. The release said that in 2021, Reeves also left the state, during a serious spike in COVID-19 cases, to attend an RGA conference in Chicago and “had to use taxpayer dollars to haul him back to do his job.”

Wagner said: “For Tate Reeves, the tradeoff of abandoning Mississippians in the middle of a tornado is clear — he can jet off out of state, and then days later, that group hands him half a million dollars to his campaign coffers. Tate Reeves couldn’t care less about doing his job — if it means he can spend time with wealthy lobbyists, he’ll abandon Mississippians in a heartbeat.”

The Reeves campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wagner’s claims.

Presley’s campaign reported mostly small donations, and noted 91%, or 2,300, of his donations were $200 or less. But some larger ones included $50,000 from San Francisco attorney Steven C. Phillips, $25,000 from Gordon McKernan Injury Lawyers of Baton Rouge and $12,500 from Jackson attorney Crymes Pittman.

In a statement, Presley campaign manager Ron Owens said: “Our campaign continues to reach people from all over Mississippi who know that Brandon Presley is the right choice to clean up Tate Reeves’ corruption, cut taxes for working families, and strengthen our healthcare system. Tate Reeves continues to prioritize his highest donors over working Mississippians – even during devastating tornadoes – but these record-breaking numbers show that people know Brandon will be the type of leader who will put Mississippians first.”

Presley’s campaign also noted in a press release that he raised nearly $200,000 more than Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Hood did in June of 2019 in his unsuccessful run against Reeves, and that Presley has $400,000 more in the bank than Hood did at this point in that campaign.

The Reeves campaign took shots at Presley for a $500 donation he received from Stacey Abrams, a Georgia Democratic voting rights activist, former state House member and unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate in 2018.

“Congrats to (Brandon Presley) on receiving further support from leftwing grifter-in-chief Stacey Abrams!” Team Tate Reeves wrote on social media. “Everyone is looking forward to you joining the ranks of such gubernatorial giants as her and Beto O’Rourke.”

Campaign finance reports for June fundraising were due Monday.

READ MORE: What incumbent Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann wants to do for Mississippi

In the homestretch of the Republican primary for lieutenant governor, incumbent Delbert Hosemann reported raising $548,000 for June, while challenger Chris McDaniel reported raising $97,500. Hosemann reported having $3.4 million cash on hand; McDaniel, $338,000.

READ MORE: What lieutenant governor candidate Chris McDaniel wants to do for Mississippi

Mississippi Today reporter Taylor Vance contributed to this article.