Former congressional candidate Shuwaski Young has announced his intentions to run for secretary of state.
Young, a Democrat who unsuccessfully challenged Rep. Michael Guest in November, believes his previous experience working in the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office as well as his vision for the state as a whole makes him the ideal candidate.
“The Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office is where I actually began my career and also my start in government. It’s a place where I learned to be effective,” Young said Tuesday morning on the steps of the State Capitol in Jackson.
Young worked under both Democrat Eric Clark and Republican Delbert Hosemann during his time at the Secretary of State’s Office. He began as an intern while at Jackson State University. Post-graduation, he was hired by Clark as the office’s director of marketing and training and remained on staff when now-Lt. Governor Hosemann took over in 2008.
“I’ve worked for three different divisions of the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office. I’ve worked under both Democrat and Republican administrations,” Young said. “And I unlike the last three secretaries of state – with all due respect – this will not be on the job training for me.”
As for his aspirations if elected, Young would like to make voting easier in Mississippi, which is just one of 10 states without a form of online voter registration. He would also like to work with both state and federal officials to further investigate the $77 million public welfare scandal that continues to shake the state.
“My campaign commitment to you is that on my first day in office as secretary of state, I will meet with the FBI, the United States Attorney, and the state auditor. We will open up an investigation, and we will get to the bottom of what happened with the state’s funds,” Young continued. “Lastly, Mississippi does not have to be known as a voter suppression state. We can and we must change this outlook in our actions.”
Primaries for statewide offices in Mississippi will be held on August 8, 2023.
