The bid makes Watson the first major candidate to publicly enter the 2027 race for lieutenant governor, an open-seat contest because current Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann is term-limited.
Speaking to a crowd of supporters at the Mississippi Trade Mart, Watson described himself as the son of a bank teller and a shipyard worker, and said his parents taught him to live within his means and use public office to serve others.
Watson, a former state senator from Jackson County, is framing his campaign around familiar Republican priorities like tax cuts, deregulation and anti-abortion politics. But he is also trying to make collaboration, or the lack of it, a campaign issue.
“I don't see that much in Jackson right now,” Watson said. “They all claim to be Republicans, but they don't even communicate. That's not a way to lead a state. Mississippi deserves better.”
Speaking with reporters after the event, Watson said Mississippi leaders have to “rise above” policy disagreements and “petty politics” to deliver results, while also making clear that his own agenda would be firmly conservative.
Watson said one of his top priorities would be speeding up the phaseout of Mississippi’s personal income tax. He tied that goal to a broader argument for smaller government and tighter control of state spending.
“It's taking hard looks, making hard decisions,” Watson said. “Quit spending money where government shouldn't be spending money, and spend money only on those core functions like transportation, roads and bridges, public safety, the things that people need to live that government only can provide, not individuals not private sector.”
He also argued that lowering costs for businesses means cutting regulations, saying compliance burdens take time and money away from businesses in ways that hurt wage growth. In his speech, Watson pointed to his “Tackle the Tape” regulatory initiative to show he’s already been working in that arena as secretary of state.
Watson’s Senate credentials are also a central component of his campaign pitch. State Sen. Josh Harkins, R-Flowood, who introduced him in Jackson, said Watson’s years in the chamber could help him lead it if elected.
“I think every time you get a new lieutenant governor, it's kind of a little bit of a fresh air mentality,” Harkins said. “You got new people, you'll have new members in the chamber, there's a lot of newness, and so I think it's an opportunity to reset.”
