Shuwaski Young, who recently left the Democratic Party and is running as a Republican for Mississippi secretary of state in 2027, is continuing to build trust and support on the GOP side as he’s been elected to a leadership position within his home county’s Republican executive committee.
It was announced Tuesday that the Neshoba County Republican Executive Committee elected Young to serve as its secretary. In the position, he will assist in coordinating county committee operations and supporting grassroots organizing, according to a release that called Young’s selection to the position “another step in his ongoing commitment to strengthening conservative leadership and expanding Republican engagement across Mississippi.”
“I am deeply honored to be elected secretary of the Neshoba County Republican Executive Committee,” Young said. “Neshoba County represents the heart of conservative Mississippi, and I’m committed to helping grow our party through unity, integrity, and outreach to every voter who believes in faith, freedom, and family values.”
Young, the Democratic nominee for secretary of state in 2023, chose in October 2024 to leave the party and identify, in his words, as a “Christian conservative.” It didn’t take long for him to fully join the GOP side, and he’s since been working to lay the groundwork for another political run but on a different ticket.
The former Obama administration appointee, previously working as an external engagement coordinator for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said he flipped parties because the Mississippi Democratic Party no longer aligns with his “traditional values of faith and family,” offering his belief that the Mississippi Republican Party wants to “move the state forward for everyone.”
In June, Young broke the news during an appearance on MidDays with Gerard Gibert that he is running for secretary of state as a Republican during the next statewide election cycle. It’s expected to be an open seat with many politicos inferring current Secretary Michael Watson will seek higher office, although Watson has made no official announcement.
“This is something I have prayed about thoroughly and something I’ve talked about with family. I am a firm believer that when God puts something on your heart, there’s no time to waste,” Young said at the time. “The reception has been very good. I’ve spoken with people in the state legislature and Republican executive committees all over Mississippi.”
Young’s experience with the secretary of state’s office goes beyond his current bid for the position. He gained his initial footing in politics when he worked as an intern under Democrat Eric Clark while studying at Jackson State University. He was promoted to the office’s director of marketing and training before being retained by now-Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann when the Republican was elected secretary of state in 2008.
Young is a proponent of “no-excuse” early voting but within a window of no more than 15 days. Republican-led efforts to pass a bill allowing people to vote early without a reason passed in the state Senate died in the House of Representatives earlier this year. Other platform points for Young include supporting voter ID laws, ensuring elections are safe and secure, and encouraging more people to not only register but to also show up to the ballot boxes. While he is opposed to online voter registration, Young has floated the idea of creating a multi-agency approach to in-person voter drives and voter awareness.
