Sean Tindell, commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, announced on Wednesday that he will run in the Republican primary next year for attorney general, Mississippi’s top legal official. 

Tindell launched his campaign Wednesday morning in Gulfport and began a statewide tour with stops in Jackson, Tupelo and Southaven. 

“Mississippi needs leaders who are focused less on petty disputes and more on working together and getting things done for the people we serve,” Tindell said. “That’s what I’m running for attorney general.” 

Tindell has led DPS since Gov. Tate Reeves appointed him to the post in 2020. Tindell previously served as a judge on the Mississippi Court of Appeals for three years and previously represented the Gulfport area in the state Senate for five years. 

Tindell said he is “uniquely qualified” to serve as attorney general because of his legislative, judicial and agency experience. He specifically pointed to his initiative to reduce the time the public waits at driver’s license bureaus and his efforts to reduce the autopsy backlog at the Mississippi Forensics Laboratory. 

“With me, there is no need for on-the-job training,” Tindell said. 

The state attorney general is the chief legal officer and advisor for the state, handles civil and criminal legal matters, represents state agencies and public officials in court and issues legal interpretations of state laws. 

If elected, Tindell said he plans to ask the Legislature to expand the scope of his office to handle more public corruption cases and work to provide public bodies with AG opinions more quickly. He also said he plans to eventually resign as commissioner to focus on campaigning for attorney general full time, though he doesn’t have a specific timeline for the resignation.

The attorney general slot will be an open seat because current Attorney General Lynn Fitch has announced she will run for governor next year. Tindell is the only candidate so far to announce he’s seeking the office. 

Henry Babour, a national GOP strategist, said on Mississippi Today’s “The Other Side” politics podcast that state Sen. Briggs Hopson, a Republican from Vicksburg who leads the Senate Appropriations Committee, will soon announce he’s running for attorney general. 

Here is a list of candidates who have announced they are running for statewide office in 2027: 

Governor: 

Lynn Fitch (R)

Andy Gipson (R)

Philip Gunn (R)

Lieutenant Governor: 

Michael Watson (R)

Secretary of State: 

Shuwaski Young (R)

Attorney General: 

Sean Tindell (R)

State Auditor: 

Nick Bain (R)

Daniel Sparks (R)