Most of Mississippi’s Republican statewide officials and its two U.S. senators have endorsed Donald Trump’s bid for the presidency, according to an article published by Politico on Monday. 

Seven out of the state’s eight statewide officials endorsed the former president. The only statewide official who is not endorsing Trump’s campaign is Republican Secretary of State Michael Watson. Watson’s office told Mississippi Today that the secretary of state is planning to stay neutral because he will help administer the state’s election. 

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, a Republican who faces reelection next year, told Mississippi Today in a statement that he supports a “return to the strong and effective economic, national security, and border security policies our nation enjoyed under President Trump.” 

U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Republican from Brookhaven, announced her endorsement of Trump in an April social media post, saying, “Trump has been attentive to the needs of Mississippi.”  

“Therefore, I am endorsing Donald J. Trump for another term in the White House and will be working to assist him in winning the Republican nomination for President in 2024,” Hyde-Smith said. 

The endorsement signals the former president’s tight grip on the Magnolia State. The Iowa caucuses, the first Republican primary test of the year, is Jan. 15. Mississippi’s GOP primary will be held on March 12. 

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