Annual campaign finance reports due Friday show the top potential contenders — at least to date — for Mississippi governor in 2027 were neck-and-neck in how much they raised last year.

Attorney General Lynn Fitch, reported to be eyeing a gubernatorial run, raised just under $1.3 million and has nearly $2.6 million in her campaign account.

Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, who’s term limited in his current position and has expressed interest in a gubernatorial run, raised more than $1.5 million for the year, and has a cash balance in his campaign account of nearly $1.6 million.

State Auditor Shad White, who has said he is considering a run for governor, raised $1.16 million for the year, but started the year with a large balance and has nearly $3 million in his account.

Secretary of State Michael Watson, considered a contender for the lieutenant governor’s office, raised nearly $651,000 for the year and has a balance of more than $1.5 million in his account. State Sen. Briggs Hopson III, also considered a contender for the lieutenant governor’s race, raised nearly $259,000 and has a balance of nearly $588,000.

Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson, often mentioned as a contender for higher office, has not shown the fundraising uptick of some other politicians. He raised a little over $133,000 for the year, and has about $238,000 cash on hand.

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Geoff serves as Politics and Government Editor, working closely with Mississippi Today leadership on editorial strategy and investigations. Pender joined the Mississippi Today team in 2020, bringing 30 years of political and government reporting experience to the newsroom.

Previously, Pender served as Politics and Investigative Editor at The Clarion Ledger, where he also penned a popular political column. While at The Clarion Ledger, Pender helped lead digital transformation for the legacy publication, while overseeing watchdog news teams and government reporting. He previously served as an investigative reporter and political editor at the Sun Herald, where he was a member of the Pulitzer Prize-winning team for Hurricane Katrina coverage. Originally from Florence, Mississippi, Pender is a journalism graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi and has received numerous awards throughout his career for reporting, columns and freedom of information efforts.