Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson will soon announce his next political move, confirming that he will not seek a third term in his current role.
During an appearance Tuesday on MidDays with Gerard Gibert, Watson said he plans to be on the ballot during the 2027 statewide election cycle but stopped short of revealing which office he intends to pursue. For months, speculation in political circles has centered on Watson potentially running for lieutenant governor, as Delbert Hosemann is term-limited.
Watson said the decision comes after prayer and reflection about his tenure as secretary of state and whether he could continue serving Mississippians in another capacity. He added that an official announcement on his future will be made “pretty soon.”
“We’ve thought a lot about this,” the Republican said. “I think the key thing that should be the marker for all elected officials is when you get to the point when you feel like you’ve done a lot of great work and you can leave behind an office knowing that you left it better than you found it, and when you pray about things that, ‘Hey, where’s an opportunity where I can do more good, and does that exist?’ If it does exist, let’s take a look at it. If we get a peace about it, that’s what we’re going to do.”
Watson, who has served as secretary of state since 2020, has emphasized election security during his tenure, including support for legislation requiring paper ballots an enforcement of related regulations.
He said his office’s efforts have drawn national attention, noting that the Trump administration recently asked him to help organize a group of secretaries of state to develop election policy proposals for potential executive and congressional action.
“I’m really proud of our team here at the secretary of state’s office. Just the work that we’ve put in, it speaks for itself,” Watson said. “When national leaders are starting to look at what Mississippi’s doing…when I’m traveling to different states explaining to them how we were able to get it done in Mississippi and how they can mirror us, that says we’ve done a job folks want to mimic.
“Working with the Trump administration, we’re leading the efforts there on election integrity across the country — how states and the White House can implement these good policies that we’ve done here in Mississippi. I’m really proud of the work we’ve done. I’m happy to stand on that. It’s a great record to run on.”
Beyond elections, Watson launched the “Tackle the Tape” initiative aimed at reducing regulatory barriers for businesses. His office also started the “Mississippi Businesses Against Trafficking” campaign, which trains business owners and employees to recognize and report signs of human trafficking.
Before being elected statewide, Watson served three terms representing parts of Jackson County in the Mississippi Senate.
Looking ahead to 2027, with Watson not seeking reelection, Republican Shuwaski Young has already announced his intention to run for secretary of state. At this time, he is the only candidate who has officially declared a bid for the office.
