Elvis Presley’s cousin lifts Democrats’ hopes in Mississippi governor’s race

GRENADA, Miss. — Conservative Mississippi is hard territory for Democrats, however the celebration sees an uncommon alternative this 12 months to unseat first-term Republican Gov. Tate Reeves. They’re pinning hopes in November on a candidate with a legendary final identify who has used his personal compelling story to spotlight the financial plight of working households in a state that has lengthy been one of many poorest in America.

Democrat Brandon Presley is a second cousin of Elvis Presley, born just a few days earlier than the rock ’n’ roll legend died. While campaigning, Brandon Presley talks continuously about authorities corruption, specializing in a multimillion-dollar welfare scandal that developed when Reeves was lieutenant governor.

Presley, an elected member of the Mississippi Public Service Commission, is unopposed for the Democratic nomination for governor. He is pushing for Medicaid enlargement to assist financially strapped hospitals whereas telling voters about his personal troublesome childhood.

“I understand what working families in this state go through,” Presley instructed about 75 folks at a restaurant in Grenada, a city on the sting of the Mississippi Delta.

The 45-year-old mentioned he was simply beginning third grade when his father was murdered. Presley’s mom raised him and his brother and sister within the small city of Nettleton, incomes modest wages from a garment manufacturing facility. In his childhood dwelling, “you could see straight through the floors into the dirt,” he mentioned, and his mom struggled to pay for water and electrical energy.

“And let me say this to you clearly: When my name goes on the ballot in November, the names of families who have had their electricity cut off, who are getting up every day working for all they can to help their kids, to small business owners – your name goes on that ballot in November,” he mentioned.

PHOTOS: Elvis Presley’s cousin lifts Democrats’ hope of ‘sleeper’ win in Mississippi governor’s race

Mississippi is one in all simply three states with a governor’s race this 12 months, becoming a member of Kentucky and Louisiana. All are locations that traditionally have supported Republicans for statewide workplace, although Kentucky’s Democratic governor is searching for a second time period.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, described the three contests as “away games” however mentioned Mississippi could also be “the sleeper” – a state the place the precise Democrat might win. That’s regardless of voters twice closely backing Donald Trump for president, the GOP holding all statewide places of work and a supermajority within the Legislature and a Democrat not profitable a Mississippi governor’s race to date this century.

Reeves, who faces two underfunded opponents within the Aug. 8 major, has the benefit of incumbency: 31 governors of U.S. states or territories sought reelection final 12 months, and just one misplaced. Reeves had about $9.4 million in his marketing campaign fund on the finish of May, excess of the $1.7 million Presley reported. Republicans additionally say nationwide Democrats’ enthusiasm for Presley’s bid could possibly be a legal responsibility.

Reeves, 49, was a banker from a Jackson suburb earlier than profitable his first statewide workplace 20 years in the past. He is campaigning on a document of lowering the state revenue tax, growing academics’ pay, limiting abortion entry and banning gender-affirming medical take care of folks youthful than age 18. He is also casting this as an “us-versus-them” election, portraying Presley as a part of a nationwide Democratic operation far faraway from the realities of life in Mississippi.

“My friends, this is a different governor’s campaign than we have ever seen before in our state because we are not up against a local yokel, Mississippi Democrat. We are up against a national liberal machine,” Reeves instructed greater than 200 supporters at a marketing campaign occasion within the Jackson suburb of Richland. “They are extreme. They are radical and vicious.”

Reeves mentioned outsiders have a look at Mississippi with “scorn,” however the state has momentum.

“Are we going to let them stop us?” Reeves requested, and the gang responded: “No!”

“Are we going to let them make Mississippi conform to California values?” Reeves requested. Again, the response was “No!”

Presley was 23 when he was elected mayor of Nettleton in 2001. During his second time period main the city of two,000, he received the northern district seat on the Mississippi Public Service Commission, a three-member group that regulates utilities. He is finishing his fourth time period this 12 months.

As Presley campaigns, he combines blunt criticism of Reeves with gospel and bluegrass songs that affirm the connection to his well-known cousin with out leaving the impression that he has chosen the unsuitable line of labor.

In Grenada, Presley mentioned a $100 million monetary bundle that legislators and Reeves authorised for hospitals this 12 months was a “cheap, dollar store clearance-aisle Band-Aid” when Medicaid enlargement might carry the state about $1 billion a 12 months from the federal authorities.

Murphy mentioned Presley‘s fashion has been profitable over donors. At an occasion Presley attended in New Jersey with Murphy, they exceeded their fundraising objective.

“We’ve got a great candidate. This guy’s the real deal,” Murphy mentioned. “When you listen to what he would do on Day One as governor, you say, ‘You know what? That’s exactly what Mississippi needs.’”

Four years in the past, Reeves received the governorship by defeating four-term Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood by 52% to 47%, with two lesser-known candidates within the race.

This 12 months, one unbiased can be on the overall election poll. Republicans like their probabilities, given the state’s politics and Reeves’ historical past of 5 statewide wins: two for state treasurer, beginning when he was 29; two for lieutenant governor; and one for governor.

“Democrats are desperately trying to create a mirage when it comes to Mississippi,” mentioned Republican Governors Association spokesperson Courtney Alexander. “The reality is that Brandon Presley is bought and paid for by national Democrats, while Gov. Reeves’ record of historically low unemployment, historically high graduation rates, and substantial pay raises for Mississippi educators speaks for itself.”

About 38% of Mississippi residents are Black – the very best proportion of any state – and Black voters are important for Democrats to have any probability of profitable statewide.

Janie Houston, a retired kindergarten instructor who attended Presley‘s occasion in Grenada, mentioned some Black voters won’t hassle to indicate up in November as a result of Republicans drew legislative districts particularly to guard large majorities within the Legislature.

“That’s the point of doing all that gerrymandering,” Houston mentioned.

Democrats, she added, will not be placing sufficient assist behind down-ballot candidates to offset that benefit.

“They need to come face-to-face with Black voters and any other voter,” she mentioned. “That’s just the way it is. I just don’t think they’re putting enough money behind the candidates to get people to come out in the communities.”

The most influential Black politician in Mississippi, Democratic U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, didn’t endorse Hood within the 2019 governor’s race as a result of he mentioned Hood by no means requested him to. But Thompson endorsed Presley on the outset of this 12 months’s marketing campaign, and the congressman mentioned he’ll present any assist Presley requests within the coming months.

Thompson mentioned Presley labored with him to assist the tiny rural neighborhood of Schlater get protected consuming water after the pump for a water nicely broke, and that Presley has helped different needy areas get dependable electrical energy. After a twister devastated the small city of Rolling Fork this spring, Thompson mentioned, “one of the first calls I got was from Brandon Presley asking me what could he do?”

Thompson mentioned Presley discovered mills in Louisiana to supply electrical energy for an armory in Rolling Fork that grew to become a catastrophe aid spot.

“That’s the kind of person, the Brandon Presley that I know,” Thompson mentioned in an interview. “It’s easy to support somebody who demonstrates that they care about people.”

The Reeves marketing campaign occasion in Richland was in a big, air-conditioned warehouse for a building tools dealership. One of the spectators was Terry Felder, a retired offshore oil rig employee who mentioned he voted for Reeves in 2019 and can once more this 12 months as a result of he believes Republicans do a greater job of controlling authorities spending.

Felder acknowledged Mississippi has issues however mentioned he thinks the state is in “pretty good shape.”

“Every survey they have, if it’s a bad survey we’re at the top of the list. If it’s a good survey, we’re at the bottom,” Felder mentioned. “But when you’re here, it doesn’t seem that way.”

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