Mississippi
Will Shad White, Delbert Hosemann run for Mississippi governor in 2027? See what they said
PHILADELPHIA, Mississippi — At least two statewide officials are now publicly considering running for higher office in Mississippi.
After giving stump speeches at the Neshoba County Fair Wednesday, Mississippi State Auditor Shad White and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, two of the state’s high-ranking Republicans, told reporters they have no intentions of leaving the political arena after completing their current terms.
White, who took his time at the podium to discuss an upcoming report now said to detail more than $300 million of waste in state government, denounce Diversity Equity and Inclusion education and throw shade toward state lawmakers for not passing related legislation, said he is considering running for the state’s highest office.
“I am seriously considering running for governor,” White said briefly.
Hosemann did not so concretely state his intentions but said he does in fact have plans for a political office after his current term is over, and that he plans to stay in Mississippi.
“I have been honored to be here, and we’re not tired,” Hosemann said. “The state is going in the right direction. I’ve got a vision for where my grandchildren ought to be. Me and my wife Lynn, we have two special-needs kids, and she wants to work on special needs matters. So, we’re not ready to retire yet, and given the opportunity by the good Lord and the people of Mississippi, we’re going to keep working.”
Other than Hosemann and White, Democratic Senate candidate Ty Pinkins, Public Service Commissioner De’Keither Stamps and Mississippi Transportation Commissioner Willie Simmons spoke about the roles of both state and national politics in Mississippi and beyond.
More on Neshoba political speakers Neshoba County Fair again full of state leaders, political candidates stumping. See lineup
Here is what those speakers said.
Mississippi State Auditor Shad White
White told event goers he is soon to release a $2 million report that will detail at least $300 million in state government waste.
Of that sizeable figure, White said he has found thousands of dollars wasted on government cellphones that have never been turned on and found that some people in Mississippi had been receiving healthcare from the state’s Medicaid program.
“We identified about $144 million worth of payments to people who looked like they were making too much to be on Medicaid,” White said.
White later told reporters that waste within the Mississippi Division of Medicaid makes up a sizeable portion of the report.
That report was compiled through a $2 million contract with Boston Consulting Group, and White’s office is working to finalize that report. The Clarion Ledger submitted a public records request to obtain a copy of that report, but the office denied it, citing it could not release “work papers” related to a state audit, per state law.
“The statute says that work papers shall be confidential,” White said to a group of reporters Wednesday. “We’ve always treated all audit work papers as confidential.”
White also took up a long-held position of his in denouncing DEI education in Mississippi colleges, calling out a program that taught what he called “equity yoga” to children.
“We are in a fight for young America,” White said.
White went as far as to blame the Mississippi Legislature for not passing legislation to remove DEI programs at state universities, specifically calling out Hosemann and other senators for not pushing the bills forward.
Mississippi Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann
Up on the podium, Hosemann touted the Legislature’s efforts to increase K-12 education funding, which happened through a rewrite of the state’s K-12 education funding formula, economic developments and efforts to lower the cost of prescription drugs in Mississippi.
Hosemann said one of his top priorities is still to improve the state’s lackluster job participation rate. One of the ways he thinks that can get done is through expanding Medicaid. He also hopes to work on cutting the state’s 7% grocery sales tax, which is among the highest in the nation.
The Legislature for the first time ever considered expanding Medicaid this past session, but the effort failed because of differing approaches to the number of people that would be covered, whether there should be a work requirement and what that would look like.
“We can (still) do that,” Hosemann said.
When asked what Hosemann thought of White’s comments, he said he did not hear them.
“I thought he would be on a book tour,” Hosemann joked.
Senate candidate Ty Pinkins
Pinkins told attendees that if they elect him to the United States Senate, he promises to work for all Mississippians and focus on issues that impact its people.
Other than attacking Republican incumbent Sen. Roger Wicker for not working to address what Pinkins says is his responsibility, he said he hopes to increase healthcare access in Mississippi and support women’s rights to have an abortion.
Public Service Commissioner De’Keither Stamps and Transportation Commissioner Willie Simmons
Stamps, a first-year Public Service Commissioner, called on 81-year-old President Joe Biden to step down and for Vice President Kamala Harris to assume his role.
In his own words, he said that move would further unite the country.
Simmons on the other hand, who has publicly endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee for president, called on state lawmakers to establish more recurring funds for the Mississippi Department of Transportation.
“I don’t see Republican or Democratic highways,” Simmons said.
If the state were to establish a larger and more consistent budget for MDOT, Simmons said the effort could reduce the long-term cost of road and bridge maintenance.
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Grant McLaughlin covers state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.
Mississippi
Entergy: Customers in Mississippi saving $2 billion due to construction of data centers – SuperTalk Mississippi
Electric power distribution company Entergy has announced that customers in Mississippi will save more than $2 billion on power bills due to data center projects in its service range.
Entergy Mississippi customers join those in Louisiana and Arkansas as the largest recipients of a broader $5 billion in savings. The company’s announcement comes after Amazon Web Services announced plans to build a pair of multi-billion-dollar data centers in Madison County and another in Warren County, along with AVAIO Digital settling on Rankin County as a data center destination.
While ratepayers in the areas where data centers are being constructed voiced concerns of bill hikes, Entergy Mississippi President and CEO Haley Fisackerly has maintained that the projects will have the opposite effect on the wallets of utility customers. Fisackerly added that having a big customer — like Amazon — helps offset the rising cost of powering homes, small businesses, and even healthcare facilities.
“When you don’t have growth, and 25% of your customers are below the national poverty level, affordability becomes a big concern,” Fisackerly said on MidDays with Gerard Gibert. “Just like any business or community, you need growth. You need economies of scale. By bringing in a large customer like AWS, they are bringing the volume we need, but they also bring in additional revenues that are going to allow us to invest more to improve reliability.”
Not only is the money Entergy Mississippi is bringing in from data center owners helping customers save money, but it is also going toward major grid upgrades that consumers don’t have to subsidize, Fisackerly said. Efforts by the state legislature, Gov. Tate Reeves, and the Mississippi Public Service Commission paved the way for large companies constructing data centers to contribute to a $300 million “Superpower Mississippi” campaign by Entergy to modernize and improve power lines and systems.
These grid upgrades are expected to reduce power outages, which is a plus in a state prone to year-round inclement weather events, and make services more reliable for customers.
“These large technology customers will help pay the cost for needed power grid maintenance and upgrades that would otherwise have been borne by our existing customers,” Fisackerly continued. “During a rising cost environment, when we are having to replace two half-century-old power plants with new units, securing such relief right now is perfect timing for our residential and small commercial customers.”
Though concerns remain about the environmental impacts data centers will have on the area, along with the possible noise associated with powering them, officials contend that the affordability of utilities can be erased from the list of worries.
Entergy’s existing agreements with data center owners have been structured to benefit all ratepayers, while also protecting existing customers from risks, the company announced. The company included prepayment requirements, multi-year contract terms, credit and collateral requirements, and early termination penalties in contracts with data center owners to protect existing customers.
Mississippi
Thompson defeats Turnage to highlight U.S. House primaries in Mississippi – SuperTalk Mississippi
Political newcomer and Capitol Hill attorney Evan Turnage proved no match for longtime U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, who defeated him and one other challenger to earn the Democratic nomination for Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District on Tuesday.
Some politicos thought Turnage – who went to Yale and later worked for some of Thompson’s Democratic colleagues, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) – wouldn’t necessarily win but could make waves as one of the more viable candidates to challenge Thompson in recent years. However, that wasn’t the case as Thompson garnered approximately 85% of the vote when the race was called.
Thompson, 78, is seeking an 18th term. The civil rights leader who chaired the Jan. 6 Committee was first elected in 1993 and serves as a ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee. He will face either Ron Eller or Kevin Wilson on the Republican side, a race yet to be called as of late Tuesday night, and independent Bennie Foster in November’s general.
All of Mississippi’s U.S. House seats are up for grabs this year.
In the 1st Congressional District, Republican Rep. Trent Kelly ran unopposed, while civil rights attorney and University of Mississippi School of Law professor Cliff Johnson beat former state lawmaker Kelvin Buck in the Democratic primary. Libertarian challenger Johnny Baucom awaits Kelly and Johnson in the general.
In the 3rd Congressional District, both Republican Rep. Michael Guest and Democrat Michael Chiaradio ran unopposed. They will meet Libertarian Erik Kiehle in the general.
In the 4th Congressional District, Republican Rep. Mike Ezell had over 80% of the vote when his race was called against former Mississippi Department of Marine Resources officer and political staffer Sawyer Walters. State Rep. Jeffrey Hulum easily won the Democratic nomination over Paul Blackman and D. Ryan Grover. Ezell and Hulum will face independent Carl Boyanton in the general.
Arguably the most watched races of the night occurred in the state’s lone U.S. Senate seat in this year’s cycle. Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith had no problem with Ocean Springs doctor Sarah Adlakha, seeing her name bolded around 30 minutes after the polls closed. It wasn’t long after that when Lowndes County District Attorney Scott Colom was announced the winner of the Democratic primary over Priscilla Till and Albert Littell. Independent Ty Pinkins will meet Hyde-Smith and Colom in the general on Nov. 3.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Mississippi
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