Delbert Hosemann filed qualifying papers Thursday at the state Republican Party headquarters to seek a second term as lieutenant governor.

Hosemann announced his reelection bid before an overflow crowd in the party headquarters conference room. The entryway to the headquarters building also was elbow to elbow with people who could not get into the conference room.

“It is a real honor to be here,” said Hosemann, who added he “was mesmerized” to see the eagle on top of the Capitol building every day and still could not believe he had an office in the building.

Hosemann will be making stops throughout the state in the coming days to tout his accomplishments and his reelection bid.

The large crowd at the party headquarters could be conceived as a show of force by Hosemann. State Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, who lost a close Republican Party primary for the U.S. Senate in 2014 against incumbent Thad Cochran, has indicated that he might challenge Hosemann.

At Thursday’s announcement about 15 Republican senators flanked Hosemann. A large number of senators also was in in the entryway, unable to get into the room where the announcement was made.

Echoing the comments of Gov. Tate Reeves, who qualified to seek re-election earlier this week, Hosemann said the state “was in the best financial shape we have ever been in.” He said a lot of Republican politicians worked to put the state on sound financial footing. Like Reeves, he did not mention the billions of federal COVID-19 relief funds that have spurred the Mississippi economy.

Hosemann was introduced by his son, Mark, who said his father was a doer, not a talker.

“Dad focuses on the positive. He focuses on the potential,” he said.

Shane Quick, who garnered 15% of the vote against Hosemann in the 2019 Republican primary for lieutenant governor, has qualified to run again this year.

Hosemann served three terms as secretary of state before running and winning the office of lieutenant governor.

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