The 2023 governor’s race between Republican Gov. Tate Reeves and Democratic challenger Brandon Presley has seen significant fundraising and spending from both candidates.
Reeves, one of the state’s premier political fundraisers who has served in statewide office since 2004, came into the race with deep pockets. Presley, a public service commissioner since 2007, has been bolstered this year by significant support from the Democratic Governors Association.
The 2023 race marks the first time a Democratic challenger has matched a Republican incumbent in recent memory, with more money likely to pour into both campaigns during the final days.
To see a list of the individual donations received by each candidate over time, click here for Brandon Presley and here for Tate Reeves.
Here’s how the candidates’ fundraising and spending compare.
How much have the candidates raised?
While Presley has out-fundraised Reeves since January of 2022, Reeves came into the race with more cash from previous campaigns — nearly $3 million to Presley’s half a million.
It’s difficult to know the exact number of donations each candidate has received since they are not required to individually list donations from individuals who give less than $200 in a year. But between the itemized donations listed, Presley has collected over 7,500 in the last two years — over double the 3,000 Reeves has.
What has fundraising looked like over time?
Reeves’ fundraising for this campaign has climbed relatively steadily over the last two years, while Presley’s did not take off until he declared his candidacy this January. His fundraising particularly increased in the late summer, surpassing Reeves by early October.
How many donations came from out-of-state?
Looking at the number of donations received by each candidate and their state of origin, both candidates appear to be primarily funded by Mississippians, with Reeves topping Presley in this category.
In shifting this lens to the dollar value of those donations, both candidates see a smaller portion of their campaigns funded by Mississippi money, with Presley seeing a starker decline. That shift is largely attributed to the significant support both candidates have seen from their respective national governors associations, with Presley getting $5.85 million and Reeves $1 million as of Oct. 29.
Who are their top individual donors?
Who are their top organizational donors?
Editor’s note: Several donors to both Gov. Tate Reeves and Brandon Presley are also donors of Mississippi Today. Donors do not influence Mississippi Today’s editorial decisions, and a list of our donors can be found here.
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