Jonathan Tate Reeves (born June 5, 1974) is an American politician serving since 2020 as the 65th governor of Mississippi. A member of the Republican Party, Reeves served as the 32nd lieutenant governor of Mississippi from 2012 to 2020 and as the 53rd treasurer of Mississippi from 2004 to 2012.
Born in Florence, Mississippi, Reeves graduated from Florence High School in 1992 and Millsaps College in 1996. After receiving his degree in economics, he became a Chartered Financial Analyst. He began work at Park South Corporation, leaving in 2000 to become a financial portfolio manager at Trustmark.
Reeves entered the race for Mississippi state treasurer after Democratic incumbent Marshall G. Bennett announced he would not run. In the Republican primary runoff, he defeated former Central District Transportation Commissioner Wayne Burkes. In the general election, he defeated Democratic nominee Gary Anderson. He was reelected in 2007 and went on to become lieutenant governor in 2012, holding the position until his inauguration as governor.
Reeves was chosen as his party's nominee in the 2019 Mississippi gubernatorial election, defeating former state Supreme Court Justice Bill Waller Jr. and State Representative Robert Foster. In the general election, he narrowly defeated Attorney General Jim Hood. During his tenure, Reeves signed legislation to change the state flag, removed COVID-19 restrictions earlier than many of his fellow governors, and opposed vaccine requirements and medical cannabis. He was narrowly reelected in 2023, defeating Brandon Presley.
Early life and education Tate Reeves was born on June 5, 1974. A native of Rankin County, Mississippi,Adam Ganucheau, Rankin County 'kingmaker': Hometown boy Tate Reeves not a sure thing in runoff with Bill Waller, Mississippi Today (July 29, 2019). he is the eldest son of Terry Reeves and Dianne Peeples.'I'm very proud today': The man behind Tate Reeves' rise to power, Mississippi Today (April 9, 2019). Reeves's father founded a heating and air conditioning company in 1975 that became a multi-million-dollar business.Adam Ganucheau, 'I'm very proud today': The man behind Tate Reeves' rise to power, Mississippi Today (April 9, 2019). Reeves graduated from Florence High School in FlorenceEmily Wagster Pettus, Mississippi gov is pranked in shout-out to high school grads, Associated Press (May 20, 2020). and from Millsaps College in Jackson with a degree in economics.Gary Perilloux, Reeves takes an early shot at political office, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal (October 25, 2003). He played college basketball for two years before injuring his shoulder.
At Millsaps College, Reeves was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order, a fraternity that has faced accusations of racism. In 2019, yearbook photos surfaced showing members in blackface and Confederate uniforms, but it is unclear whether Reeves was involved.
Early career After graduating from college in 1996, Reeves became a Chartered Financial Analyst. He worked at Park South Corporation, a subsidiary of the Deposit Guaranty National Bank, which eventually merged into AmSouth. In 2000, Reeves moved to Trustmark National Bank, where he was a financial portfolio manager until 2003, when he resigned to run for state treasurer.
Mississippi state treasurer (2004–2012) Reeves sought the post of Mississippi state treasurer in the 2003 election. It was an open seat, as Democratic incumbent Marshall G. Bennett was retiring.Ashton Pittman, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves' 2003 Victory over Gary Anderson 'All About Race,' Critics Say, Jackson Free Press (March 11, 2019). In the 2003 Republican primary election, Reeves faced former Central District Transportation Commissioner Wayne Burkes of Brandon and State Representative Andrew Ketchings of Natchez.Bobby Harrison, Outgoing treasurer Bennett honored, Daily Journal (June 25, 2003). In the Republican primary, Reeves led with 49% of the vote, with Burkes in second place. Because no candidate won a majority, Reeves and Burkes had a runoff election; Reeves defeated Burkes in the runoff, which had low turnout.Emily Wagster Pettus, Anderson, Reeves Win Nominations For Treasurer, Greenwood Commonwealth (August 26, 2003)
In the general election, Reeves defeated Democratic nominee Gary Anderson, the state director of finance and administration, 52% to 46%. Anderson had substantially more experience than Reeves, but Reeves's campaign raised and spent substantially more money. Observers also cited racial prejudice (Anderson is African American) as a possible factor in Anderson's loss. Reeves's father contributed $115,000 to his campaign, about one-fifth of its fundraising total.
Reeves's election made him the first Republican to hold the position of Mississippi state treasurer,Sid Salter, Tate Reeves, Jim Hood race will be an old school, political street brawl, Clarion ledger (October 3, 2018). and the youngest official elected statewide in the modern history of the state, at 29 years old.
In 2007, Reeves won reelection with about 60% of the vote, defeating Democratic candidate Shawn O'Hara.
Lieutenant governor of Mississippi (2012–2020) In February 2011, Reeves entered the race for lieutenant governor. In the August Republican primary, he defeated Mississippi State Senate president pro tempore Billy Hewes of Gulfport, 162,857 votes to 123,389. In the November general election, he was elected lieutenant governor, succeeding Phil Bryant, who was elected to his first term as governor. Reeves ran without Democratic opposition; he received 80.35% of the vote; Reform Party candidate Tracella Lou O'Hara Hill received 19.65%.
As lieutenant governor, Reeves was president of the state Senate, and used his position to prevent Medicaid expansion from receiving a floor voteBobby Harrison, Senate Republicans reject plan to expand Medicaid, provide health care coverage to 300,000 more Mississippians, Mississippi Today (February 10, 2021). and to block an increase in the gas tax to fund repairs to roads and to Mississippi's many structurally deficient bridges.The Latest: Lt. governor says no to increasing gas tax, Associated Press (April 12, 2018).
Reeves won reelection as lieutenant governor on November 3, 2015, defeating three opponents, including state Senator Timothy L. Johnson, a Republican-turned-Democrat.
Governor of Mississippi (2020–present) Elections 2019 election Reeves ran for governor of Mississippi in the 2019 election. He was the favorite to win the nomination. He enjoyed substantial name recognition from his 16 years in statewide office, and had a significant fundraising advantage over his rivals, former state Supreme Court Justice Bill Waller Jr. and Robert Foster, a first-term member of the state House.
During the primary race, three former state Republican party chairs endorsed Waller (who was seen as more pragmatic), while outgoing governor Phil Bryant, former governor Haley Barbour, and Chris McDaniel endorsed Reeves (who was seen as more conservative).Stephen D. Shaffer, "Mississippi: Republican Hegemony Persists" in The 2020 Presidential Election in the South. Eds. Scott E. Buchanan & Branwell Dubose Kapeluck. (Lexington Books, 2021), p. 113. Reeves strongly opposed Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act,Richard Fausset, Mississippi Governor Primary: Republican Favorite Is Forced Into Runoff, New York Times (August 6, 2019). which he disparaged as the "Obamacare expansion." This position contrasted with that of Waller and Foster, who supported a version of Medicaid expansion to benefit Mississippi's rural hospitals, almost half of which were close to bankruptcy before the COVID-19 pandemic. Reeves also opposed increasing the gas tax to fund road and bridge repairs, while Waller supported it. Reeves said "radical liberals" were attacking "Mississippi's culture and Mississippi's values".
In the primary, Reeves and Waller finished in first and second place, respectively. Because no candidate won a majority of the vote, Reeves and Waller proceeded to a runoff election. Reeves won the nomination in the runoff by about 28,000 votes. Waller defeated Reeves in 17 counties, including Reeves's home county, Rankin, with Reeves losing his home precinct by 20 percentage points.
During his 2019 campaign for governor, Reeves touted the support of Donald Trump,Emily Wagster Pettus, Mississippi governor candidate Reeves decries 'liberals', Associated Press (April 8, 2019). who carried the state in 2016 and 2020.Trump again wins Mississippi, with its 6 electoral votes, Associated Press (November 3, 2020). Reeves promised, "If I'm elected governor, I will work for President Trump." Trump, his vice president Mike Pence, and his son Donald Trump Jr. all campaigned for Reeves in Mississippi in 2019. At a rally in Tupelo days before the 2019 election, the elder Trump promoted Reeves's candidacy while assailing the impeachment inquiry against him over the Trump–Ukraine scandal.Adam Ganucheau, Kayleigh Skinner and Bobby Harrison, At Trump rally in Tupelo, impeachment inquiry steals spotlight from Tate Reeves, governor's race, Mississippi Today (November 1, 2019).Luke Ramseth & Giacomo Bologna, Trump rally in Tupelo MS: Here's what the president said about Reeves, Hood, Mississippi Clarion Ledger (November 1, 2019).
Reeves defeated the Democratic nominee, state Attorney General Jim Hood, in the November general election.Adam Ganucheau & Bobby Harrison, Tate Reeves defeats Jim Hood, secures Republican sweep of statewide offices, Mississippi Today (November 6, 2019). Republicans won all eight statewide offices in 2019, a first in Mississippi history. The election was Mississippi's first competitive election for governor since 2003. Reeves received 459,396 votes to Hood's 414,368.2019 General Election Official Statewide Recapitulation, Mississippi Secretary of State. He took office on January 14, 2020.Emily Wagster Pettus, New Gov. Tate Reeves pledges to work 'for all Mississippi', Associated Press (January 14, 2020).
2023 election On November 7, 2023, Reeves defeated the Democratic nominee, Brandon Presley, in the 2023 Mississippi gubernatorial election, winning reelection to a second term. Presley conceded to Reeves after unofficial results showed him losing.
Confederate iconography In June 2020, amid the George Floyd protests, debate arose about whether to change the flag of Mississippi, which featured a Confederate insignia. Reeves initially said that the flag should be changed only by voter-approved referendum, but later reversed himself, saying that if the Mississippi legislature passed a bill to retire the flag without a referendum, he would sign it. On June 28, 2020, the legislature voted to change the flag, 91 to 23 in the House and 37 to 14 in the Senate. Reeves signed the legislation two days later, removing the last state flag to display a Confederate symbol.
COVID-19