State Auditor Shad White has emphasized that he is strongly considering a run for Mississippi governor, but he is not quite ready to make an announcement regarding his future in politics.
Instead, his focus is on tackling his day-to-day affairs in the auditor’s office, while backing Republicans running for Congress in the upcoming midterms.
“For the people who are announcing now, I really do think it’s too early. I think we need to keep focusing on our jobs,” White said on Mornings with Richard Cross. “Frankly, we still have races going on here in Mississippi right now. Cindy Hyde-Smith is in a tough race against Scott Colom. She’s going to win, but we need to help her do that. I think that ought to be the focus — helping President Trump between now and the midterms.”
White recently returned to Mississippi from a deployment in the Middle East as part of the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran. In addition to serving as the state’s auditor, White is also an officer in the Mississippi National Guard.
As for White’s political ambitions, the Republican’s team informed SuperTalk Mississippi News in August that he is not seeking a third term as auditor. On Wednesday, he quashed the prospect of running for any office other than governor.
“I’m being as upfront as I can possibly be. We’re still in the place where I’m considering the next step,” he added. “I’m not going to run for anything else other than governor. I’m either going to do that or go to the house.”
So far, the candidates who have launched a bid for governor are Attorney General Lynn Fitch, Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson, and former House Speaker Philip Gunn. Aside from White, other potential GOP gubernatorial hopefuls are Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and billionaire business tycoon Tommy Duff. On the other side of the political aisle, the Mississippi Democratic Party is joining White in waiting until the midterms pass before promoting candidates.
Primary elections for state races in Mississippi will take place next August, with the general election scheduled for Nov. 2, 2027.
