Attorney General Jim Hood to run for governor

The only Democrat holding statewide office in Mississippi says he will run for governor in 2019.

Fourth-term Attorney General Jim Hood said in a statement today that he will announce his candidacy Wednesday in his hometown of Houston, Mississippi. He changed his twitter handle to Hood-for-Governor’ and has a campaign phone line that’s answered as ‘Jim Hood for Governor.’

Hood said for months that he’s considering running for the state’s top office which will be open next year because Republican Governor Phil Bryant is limited to two terms and cannot run again.

Republicans have held the Mississippi governor’s mansion six of the past seven terms. Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves is expected to run for governor.

Campaign finance records show Reeves has nearly $5.4 million compared to Hood’s $656,000 so far.