NESHOBA COUNTY, Miss. ( WJTV ) – The Neshoba County Fair is a familiar forum for political speeches, but a new face in statewide politics took center stage for the first time.

Mississippi House Speaker Jason White (R-Miss.) stood under the Pavilion on Thursday morning, taking the place of longtime, former House Speaker Philip Gunn (R-Miss.). When Gunn became Speaker in 2012, White was just elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives. White was speaker pro tempore under Gunn, the second-highest leadership post in the 122-member House.

Though Thursday marked White’s first time at the podium, he deviated significantly in style and focus from his predecessor. Below are the most notable differences.

Partisanship

White’s first speech at the podium was partisan. However, it was notably less so than most speakers this year and Gunn’s last year.

Though White broadly championed conservative policies and candidates, it made no effort to vilify political ideologies. In contrast, Gunn’s speech at the 2023 fair did. His speech painted “liberalism” as a religious, moral and societal evil.

Speaker White’s eagerness to address topics like Medicaid Expansion during the 2024 legislative session painted him in deep contrast to his predecessor. Additionally, White ran as a conservative Democrat when elected to the Mississippi House, and switched parties during his first term.

Political Aspirations

White’s address inside the Pavillion followed stump speeches largely seen as informal announcements to enter the governor’s race. Towards the beginning of his speech, he clearly announced that he was not seeking the office in 2027.

Gunn’s speech was largely seen as a politically galvanizing speech for his base of supporters. It left the door open to running for governor, which would lead to a challenge of then-incumbent Tate Reeves (R-Miss) in the 2023 primary. Though he ultimately chose to not seek election for any office in state government, his return to Mississippi Politics is still speculated by many. In the meantime, White will likely remain as Speaker for the foreseeable future.

Governor Tate Reeves

Gunn’s refusal to endorse incumbent Reeves in his re-election bid for Mississippi’s top job made headlines in 2023. Tension between Speaker Gunn and Governor Reeves have been apparent in Mississippi politics for years.

Based on their speeches at the Neshoba County Fair, it appears Reeves has a better relationship with the current speaker. While White spoke about Reeves in a positive light on Thursday, Gunn did not mention Reeves at all in his 2023 speech.

Conclusion

Despite a difference in rhetorical style, both candidates have much in common. Both have a deep history with the Neshoba County Fair. In the Mississippi Legislature, White was a contributing author on House Bill 1796 in 2020, which retired the old state flag. Gunn was the bill’s principal author.

Outside of politics, both men are lawyers by trade. Gunn graduated from law school at the University of Mississippi in 1989 and White from Mississippi College in 1998.

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Daily News

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV.