By: Jenny Tran
Staff Reporter
The time has finally come to vote for a new Governor of Mississippi. With Governor Haley Barbour term-limited, both the Republicans and Democrats have contests for the eighth gubernatorial nomination. On the Republican side, Mississippi has Lieutenant Governor Phil Bryant. Bryant has gained experience, forged alliances, and made himself known by serving as State Senator, State Auditor, and Lieutenant Governor. For the Democratic side, Johnny Dupree, the three term mayor of Hattiesburg, reigns supreme. While this is his first statewide race, he has gained political experience from his previous service on the Hattiesburg School Board and ten years as Forrest County Supervisor.
Compared to Johnny Dupree, Phil Bryant seems to have a strong advantage in the Governor’s race: Haley Barbour. In 2007, Bryant won the open race for Lieutenant Governor. “Being Governor Barbour’s Lieutenant Governor, I tell people, is like being an assistant coach to Bear Bryant,” Bryant said at a recent press conference at Mississippi College. “You get to see the best.” From the time Bryant announced his bid for Governor, Haley Barbour has seemed to be on his side, coaching him through every step. However, DuPree seems unfazed by Barbour’s endorsement of Phil Bryant. During an event on the Gulf Coast, DuPree told the hometown crowd that he believes Democrats can win in Mississippi this fall. “They may have all the money. They may have all the media. They may have all the other stuff,” DuPree said of the Republicans, “but we have people with the right heart. We have people who want to do what’s right by all the people of Mississippi.” The state of Mississippi will have to wait and see what will be the outcome of this election on Tuesday, November 8th.
