Democrat Brandon Presley says he is running for Mississippi governor this year because he believes state government and the current Republican governor are disconnected from the needs of working people.
Presley is his fourth term as a Mississippi utilities regulator, and he is a distant cousin of Elvis Presley.
Presley told The Associated Press on Thursday that a welfare misspending scandal and the financial struggles of several hospitals show that state government is failing.
Gov. Tate Reeves announced last week that he is seeking a second term.
Party primaries are in August, and the general election is in November.
Mississippi, Louisiana and Kentucky are the only states electing governors this year. (AP)
