Next year, Mississippians will elect a new governor.
For the first time in years, there is no incumbent and no obvious heir apparent. Both our governor and lieutenant governor are term-limited, creating a wide-open race at an unusually consequential moment for our state.
And Mississippi has real momentum.
Our educational progress has attracted national attention. Billions of dollars in new investment are flowing into the state. Incomes are rising. For most of my life, Mississippi has been defined nationally more by our challenges than our strengths, but that narrative is changing fast. People are thinking differently about Mississippi, and deservedly so.
I want to keep that momentum going. Better yet, I want to add fuel to the fire.
Obviously, it takes a lot more than a governor to move a state forward, but it certainly doesn't take less than a governor. So as these campaigns take shape, here’s what I’m looking for in Mississippi’s next governor.
A clear-eyed understanding of where we are
I’ve never been particularly fond of the old Kirk Fordice line, “Only positive Mississippi spoken here.”
Loving Mississippi doesn't require pretending our problems don't exist. In fact, I think the opposite is true.
For all our progress, our challenges remain significant. Mississippi still has one of the lowest labor-force participation rates in America. Our household incomes remain well below the national average. Too many children grow up in poverty and single-parent homes, and too many families struggle to find a path to economic mobility.
Those aren't reasons for despair. They are reasons to get to work.
I don't expect a candidate for governor to have a 12-point plan for every problem facing Mississippi, but I do expect our next governor to understand the problems, identify which ones matter most, and explain how we can start addressing them.
Leadership begins with diagnosing reality.
A vision big enough for the moment
The next four years could be among the most consequential in modern Mississippi history.
Our educational outcomes are improving. New industries and billions of dollars in investment are coming here. Technology is reshaping work. And Mississippi is competing with every other Southern state for workers, businesses, families, and talent.
I want a governor who can tell Mississippi’s story—the good, the bad and the ugly—and explain what comes next.
Campaigns inevitably involve telling voters what candidates are against. There are things worth opposing, and moments when leaders need to say “no”.
But opposition is not a vision. Mississippi’s next governor should spend at least as much time talking about the opportunities ahead of us and what it will take to seize them.
Don't just tell me what you want to prevent. Tell me what you want to build.
An obsession with making Mississippi a place people choose
For generations, Mississippi's goal has largely been to catch up.
What if we aimed higher?
I want our next governor to wake up every morning thinking about how to make Mississippi a place people choose.
Why should a talented 25-year-old build a career here rather than in Nashville, Dallas, or Atlanta? Why should an entrepreneur start a company here? Why should a family move here? And perhaps most importantly, why should our children and grandchildren choose to stay?
Answering those questions requires more than recruiting the next big company. It requires thinking seriously about the quality of life we offer the people who already live here and those we hope will come.
It means great schools. Safe neighborhoods. Meaningful work. A growing economy. Vibrant communities. A government that removes barriers rather than erecting them. And a culture that makes it easier for people to build families, businesses, and lives here.
The courage to actually lead
Finally, I want a governor willing to spend political capital.
Every meaningful reform eventually encounters someone who benefits from the status quo. Big ideas become much less popular when they threaten an existing system, constituency, or interest. Leadership means being willing to push anyway.
I don't particularly care how many bills a governor passes, task forces he creates, ribbon cuttings he attends, or press conferences the administration holds. I care about outcomes.
Are more Mississippians working? Are children learning? Are incomes rising? Are neighborhoods safer? Are more businesses being created? Are families flourishing? Are more of our children choosing to build their lives here?
Every candidate for governor has an impressive resume. They've held offices, won elections, run businesses, passed legislation, and fought political battles. That's fine. Tell us about it.
But then make the campaign about us.
Tell us where Mississippi stands. Tell us what this moment demands. Tell us why our best days really can be ahead of us.
And then answer the question we most want to hear:
What can Mississippi become, and what are you willing to do to get us there?
Grant Callen is the Founder & CEO of Empower Mississippi. He can be reached at grant@empowerms.org.
