'I ain't ashamed anymore': poverty and tragedy led Elvis Presley's cousin to run for Mississippi governor
On a hot Saturday in late September, a couple hundred Mississippians drove to a clearing off Martin Luther King Jr Road. They stayed in their cars, enjoying a few moments of cool air-conditioning before filing towards the field’s few shaded areas.
Chrystal O’Neal, of nearby Fayette, grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, while volunteers filled tables with chips and beverages. What distinguished the gathering as a campaign event were the copious signs, all reminding those assembled that they were there to hear from Brandon Presley, the Democratic candidate in Mississippi’s upcoming gubernatorial election.
The visit to Natchez was one of Presley’s campaign stops on his journey through all 82 of Mississippi’s counties. He made a point to speak to every single person present, personally introducing himself and shaking attendees’ hands, in hopes that on 7 November they would elect him Mississippi’s 66th governor, beating out Republican incumbent Tate Reeves to become the first Democrat to hold the position in nearly two decades.
After four years marked with a chaotic and deadly response to the Covid-19 pandemic, an ongoing healthcare crisis and a welfare scandal, many Mississippians are looking for a change. Presley, who is anti-abortion and a lifelong Democrat, aims to end corruption in the state, expand Medicaid, increase funding for education and bring jobs to people across the state.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/29/brandon-presley-elvis-presley-mississippi-governor-tate-reeves
Don't like his stance on abortion, but on everything else he's spot on. He may actually have a chance.