Governor of Mississippi

• Tate Reeves’ father, Terry Reeves, is an influential businessman in Mississippi who began the multi-million dollar ventilation and air conditioning company Climate Masters, Inc. and later on entered the real estate and construction industry. Terry Reeves was his son’s first campaign treasurer and biggest financier when the latter ran for State Treasurer. Through the connections his father provided, as well as the ones the younger Reeves built in the banking sector through the Charter Financial Analyst program and other professional experiences, Reeves has managed to out-raise his opponents for State Treasurer, Lieutenant Governor, and finally Governor in 2020.

• Reeves has been involved in multiple corruption scandals and controversies, the biggest of them being the misuse of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program funds while Reeves served as Lieutenant Governor. The funds were channeled through a nonprofit to wealthy individuals with personal connections to him or his family members such as NFL player Brett Favre and Reeves’ personal fitness trainer Paul Lacoste. In addition, Reeves caught public attention when several of his family’s businesses were selected to receive federal loans or loan forgiveness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, Reeves has also sparked controversy over his use of Mississippi’s tax dollars to renovate the Governors Mansion.

• Reeves’ campaigns have been heavily financed by the healthcare, real estate and construction, and banking industries, although he has also received large donations from other sectors such as hospitality, utilities, and transport. Large and frequent donors of Reeves have been found to receive significant government contracts and public policy concessions, as with the refusal to expand Medicaid coverage and instead increase Medicaid reimbursements to private hospitals. Reeves’ last campaign for governor in 2023 also saw a massive donation from the Republican Governors Association, where he serves on the Executive Committee.

• The uncritical support for Israel expressed by Reeves most likely responds to pressures within the Republican Party. However, Reeves has also forged relationships with prominent pro-Israel advocates that are also involved with the

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