Mississippi getting big turnover in state offices

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — No matter who wins this year’s elections, Mississippi will have its biggest turnover of state government officials in a long time.

At least five of the eight statewide offices will have new occupants. Those are governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state and treasurer.

That is a contrast to 2015, when all eight statewide officials — the three above, plus auditor, agriculture commissioner and insurance commissioner — were re-elected.

State law limits the governor and lieutenant governor to two terms each, and Republican Gov. Phil Bryant is moving on after a long career in state government.

Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood are competing to succeed Bryant in the Governor’s Mansion. In Tuesday’s election, they face two candidates who have run low-budget campaigns, independent David Singletary and the Constitution

Party’s Bob Hickingbottom.

State law also limits the lieutenant governor to two terms, so Reeves would be moving out of that job even if he weren’t running for governor. The lieutenant governor’s race is between three-term Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, who’s a Republican, and one-term state Rep. Jay Hughes, who’s a Democrat.

The race for secretary of state is between Republican state Sen. Michael Watson and Democratic former Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny Dupree.

Hood is wrapping up his fourth term as attorney general. Those running to succeed him as the state’s top legal officer are Republican Lynn Fitch, who’s finishing her second term as state treasurer, and Democrat Jennifer Riley Collins, a military veteran and former executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi.

Fitch’s decision to seek another office after two terms leaves an opening for treasurer. That race is between Republican David Mcrae, who manages his family’s investment company, and

Democrat Addie Lee Green, who is a former alderwoman in Bolton. Mcrae unsuccessfully challenged Fitch in the 2015 Republican primary. Green has unsuccessfully run twice for public service commissioner and once for agriculture commissioner.

Two current statewide officials are facing opposition Tuesday.

Republican Mike Chaney is seeking his fourth term as insurance commissioner and is challenged by Democrat Robert Amos, who does private job training.

Republican Andy Gipson was appointed agriculture commissioner by Bryant in the spring of 2018, after the governor moved Republican Cindy Hyde-smith from commissioner to U.S. senator. Gipson is an attorney and former state representative. He’s challenged Tuesday by Democrat Rickey Cole, a farmer and ex-chairman of the state Democratic Party.

The only statewide official guaranteed a new term is Auditor Shad White,

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