The Neshoba County Fair is approaching, and political candidates from across the state will be gathering at the fairgrounds next week to give street speeches in open tents with church chairs and sawdust-covered floors.
The fair has already begun, but elected officials and candidates are scheduled to give political speeches in Founders Square from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Wednesday and from 9:20 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Thursday.
There will be 16 speakers.
“The Neshoba County Fair began in 1889 as a livestock and agricultural exhibition but quickly expanded to include horse racing, carnival rides, political speeches and musical entertainment,” according to the Mississippi Country Music Trail website. The political speeches that began at the fair grew in popularity over the years and became a staple of political theater in the state.
Presidential candidates have also spoken at the fair. Ronald Reagan visited the fair during his 1980 campaign to speak about states’ rights. Other presidential candidates include Massachusetts Democrat Michael Dukakis. Donald Trump Jr., who served as a surrogate for his father, former President Donald Trump, spoke at the fair during the 2016 presidential campaign.
There won’t be any speeches from presidential candidates or their campaign officials this year, but that doesn’t mean this year won’t be just as interesting as any other.
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Here’s who’s speaking at the Neshoba County Fair and when.
State Leaders
When it comes to government leadership, there will be no shortage of legislative and statewide officeholders this year.
Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann will speak at 10:40 a.m. Wednesday, while Mississippi House Speaker Jason White (R-West) and Republican Gov. Tate Reeves are scheduled to speak at 10:30 a.m. and 10:40 a.m., respectively, on Thursday.
During the last legislative session, Reeves and the House and Senate leaders clashed over several issues, particularly over a proposal to expand Medicaid in Mississippi, providing free health care to about 200,000 working-poor Mississippians.
Both the Senate and House passed Medicaid expansion during their 2024 sessions, but Reeves continued to lobby publicly and privately against the move during that time.
Governor Hosemann has said multiple times already this year that he wants to continue working to improve the state’s sluggish labor force participation rate, and he also wants to continue working on a Medicaid expansion bill that will pass both chambers of Congress. This year, negotiators in the House and Senate were unable to agree on key details of the bill, and it died before the legislative deadline.
Read about Medicaid expansion effortsMedicaid expansion bill rejected by Mississippi state legislature
Meanwhile, Speaker White said she hopes to work with lawmakers to reform the state’s tax code, such as eliminating the personal income tax and halving the grocery tax, and has also said she will revisit a Medicaid expansion bill next year.
State Auditor Shad White is scheduled to speak just before Hosemann on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. His speech comes just days before the release of “Mississippi Scam,” a new book about the state’s welfare scandal.
White has advocated for Congress this year to adopt looser open records and meetings laws.
Secretary of State Michael Watson and state Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson are also scheduled to speak at 9:50 a.m. and 10 a.m. Thursday, respectively, as is state Treasurer David McCray.
Other state officials include Public Service Commissioner DeKeither Stamps and Transportation Commissioner Willie Simmons, who are scheduled to speak at 9:40 a.m. and 9:50 a.m. Wednesday, respectively.
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Political Candidates at the Neshoba County Fair 2024
As for political candidates, the fair will feature one congressional candidate and candidates running for state court seats this year.
Ty Pinkins, the Democratic opponent of Republican candidate Roger Wicker for the U.S. Senate race, is scheduled to speak at 10:20 a.m. Wednesday.
Pinkins challenged Wicker to a debate at the fair, but Wicker’s team declined the offer, and Wicker will not be speaking at the fair, according to the Neshoba County Fair’s website.
In the state judicial race, candidates for the Supreme Court’s Central District race — Jennifer Branning, Jim Kitchen, Byron Carter and Theola James — are scheduled to speak Thursday.
Carter will speak at 9:20 a.m., James will take the stage at 9:30 a.m., Branning will speak at 10:10 a.m. and Kitchens will take the stage at 10:20 a.m.
Grant McLaughlin covers state government for the Clarion-Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.
