Who is Brandon Presley? Elvis Presley's cousin seeks tough fight in Mississippi to become first Democratic governor in two decades
NETTLETON, MISSISSIPPI: Brandon Presley, 46, a second cousin of Elvis Presley, has gained noticeable traction in the governor's race in Mississippi and seeks to make a change during the election scheduled to be held on November 14.
After outraising the current Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, he moved the Cook Political Report from likely to lean Republican in late October in a state that voted for Donald Trump over Joe Biden by more than 16 points in 2020.
Brandon, who possesses the backing of former Mississippi state lawmaker and best-selling author John Grisham, could become the first Democrat to be elected the governor of Mississippi in the 21st century.
The early life of Brandon Presley
Brandon Presley was born into poverty in 1977 in the town of Nettleton, Mississippi, three weeks before the death of Elvis Presley. His grandfather, Noah, was Elvis' grandfather Jesse's brother.
The Democrat candidate had a tragic childhood as his father, an alcoholic, was murdered on his first day of third grade, while his uncle, Sheriff Harold Ray Presley, was killed in the line of duty.
Brandon's mother raised him in dire financial conditions, according to the Daily Mail.
In his introductory video, he said, "We could see through the floor, straight down to the dirt. She was our rock and never let us feel as poor as we really were."
Brandon Presley was the youngest mayor in the history of Mississippi
Brandon Presley returned to his hometown after college and ran for mayor, winning the race at the age of 23.
He later served as the Public Service Commissioner for the Northern District of the Mississippi Public Service Commission. Brandon first appeared on the ballot in 2007 and won his last reelection in 2019.
In his campaign launch video, he mentioned, "I know it's crazy to think about, but I had gone from being a kid who grew up so poor that we had our power cut off to being the watchdog in charge of regulating those same power companies my mother couldn't afford to pay."
Mississippi deserves leaders who fight for our families, children and workers rather than themselves and their rich friends. We deserve leaders who will never forget where they came from or who put them in office.
— Brandon Presley (@BrandonPresley) January 12, 2023
That's why I'm running for Governor of Mississippi. pic.twitter.com/hyQzrLX0X1
Brandon Presley played his working-class roots in his campaign
While debating current Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, Bandon Presley stated that his mother "was somebody that Tate Reeves would say is a welfare person."
He added, "I'm not going to be cold-hearted to single-parent families that sometimes find themselves in this situation. I believe everybody I meet is a child of God, is somebody that Jesus went to the cross to die for. And I believe we should treat them with dignity and respect."
Brandon has also played up his Christian faith and has a more conservative stance on issues such as abortion and gun rights than most Democrats.