“Mississippi Forever”: Mississippi Governor Determined to Stop Youth from Leaving State

His message was focused on retaining the youth in Mississippi, emphasizing the importance of their presence in the state’s development.

This quote, reported by The Associated Press during the ceremony, highlights the concern about the ongoing departure of young people from Mississippi, seeking opportunities in other places.

Mississippi is ranked 48 in overall the rankings. In the economy category, it has a low rank of 49. It has a GDP of $139 billion which is approximately 0.5% of the total US economy.

The high school graduation rate is 87.7% in the state. Students in the state have an average National Center for Education Statistics (NAEP) math score of 266, which is also below the national average.

Mississippi ranks at 40 out of all US states. For long-term stability, it ranks at 41 while short-term stability is slightly better at 28. Residents in Mississippi who perceive their financial future as uncertain are more motivated to move away.

Without adequate transportation options, residents will have trouble finding work and may have to move to get employment. People may also have problems securing high-speed internet. Mississippi ranks at 47 on US News rankings for infrastructure. 26% of the state’s roads are in poor condition and only 6.6% of its energy usage is renewable.

For opportunity, Mississippi ranks at 36. One of the things holding it back is its median household income. The national average for household income is $69,717, which the state falls far short of at $48,716. Mississippi has a poverty rate of 19.4%, which is significantly higher than the national average.

This means that a resident’s standard monthly costs like food, gas, and housing are exceptionally low. According to the Sun Herald, the average single adult in Mississippi only spends around $2,309 monthly on living costs.

He remarked, “They made other places better, and we missed out on all they could have done here at home.”

Mississippi Public Broadcasting suggested brain drain was partly responsible for the 7% population decrease in the state from 2020 to 2022. Without high-skill workers in the area, the local economy suffers from a lack of productivity.

One suggestion to solve this problem is to have the government invest in programs that help graduates find jobs locally after they have finished their education.

The trend mirrors what is happening in many major Mississippi cities. Young people are essential to maintaining a healthy workforce and paying into the tax system.

He positioned his Democratic opponent as being out of touch with Mississippi values and more aligned with out-of-state interests, which resonated with many voters in Mississippi.

The two most recent state tax cuts in the state’s history were the largest tax cuts passed in their times. Reeves is keen to enact his own tax cut that will overshadow them tremendously. “We have tax cuts on top of tax cuts,” Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann commented.

The Associated Press details that he had two terms as the state treasurer and another two as the lieutenant governor.

This continuation of leadership aligns with the Republican Party’s dominance in the state governorship over the past 20 years.

Gov. Reeves won with nearly 51% of the vote, indicating a closely fought contest in a typically Republican-dominated state.

Presley also vowed to address corruption, referring to the misuse of welfare funds for the benefit of the wealthy, rather than aiding the poor in Mississippi.

This issue stands in contrast to neighboring states like Texas and Florida, which have experienced marked population increases.

According to the March of Dimes, the fertility rate in the state dropped from 66 per 1,000 women down to 60.7 per 1,000 women in just ten years. Low birth rates are indicative of an aging population, which will present challenges to the state’s economy and well-being in the future.

ABC News details that Gov. Reeves proudly mentioned in this speech, “We are making sure all of Mississippi has momentum.”

The Reeves campaign invested heavily in its strategy, spending almost $10 million on ads, a key factor in securing victory in the GOP-leaning Mississippi.

Trump hands out hundreds of endorsements during election cycles, though the power of this endorsement has waned compared to what it once was.

The new system, established after a 2020 constitutional amendment, requires a runoff if no candidate gets a majority in the popular vote. Reeves’ was able to secure a majority, allowing him to win without the need for a runoff.