Mississippi State Auditor Shad White is running for governor, saying he wants to confront corruption and political insiders. White says his office has identified more than $75 million in stolen or improperly spent taxpayer money over the past eight years.
A Mississippi National Guard captain who served overseas in 2026, White has pledged to bring more transparency and accountability to state government. He says audits conducted by his office could help root out wasteful contracts, special deals and unnecessary spending.
White said that, despite the two political parties in Jackson, he sees a single entrenched insiders’ network. He accused officials of trying to prevent his office from investigating government waste and said he would overhaul the system if elected.
He said Mississippi needs to do more to address fraud and corruption, especially as families face financial pressure. White also criticized what he described as a shortage of political courage among elected leaders, contrasting that with the bravery he witnessed among fellow service members overseas.
Earlier this year, White’s office reported finding more than $10.5 million in Medicaid benefits paid on behalf of immigrants in the country illegally. His office says its investigations have also involved more than $77 million in misspent Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds. Across multiple cases, it reports recovering $75 million and issuing financial demands totaling $115 million.
White says his economic plans would pair continued efforts to stop government waste with tax relief for Mississippi residents. He has proposed cutting the grocery tax and car tax, as well as freezing property taxes, arguing that families are being squeezed by rising costs while political insiders benefit.
White joins a field that includes Attorney General Lynn Fitch, Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson, former state House Speaker Philip Gunn and former Democratic Senate primary candidate Priscilla W. Till. They are seeking to succeed Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, who took office in 2020 and cannot run for a third consecutive term in 2027 because of term limits.
White has also promised to make veterans and military families a priority, pointing to the strain of leaving family behind and the difficulty some veterans face in securing benefits they were promised. He said his service would inform his work as governor, a role that includes serving as commander in chief of the Mississippi National Guard.
The Mississippi gubernatorial election is scheduled for November 2027.
