21 Facts About Tate Reeves

1.

Tate Reeves's father founded a heating and air conditioning company in 1975 that became a multi-million-dollar business.

FactSnippet No. 1,175,231
2.

Tate Reeves then graduated from Millsaps College in Jackson with a degree in economics.

FactSnippet No. 1,175,232
3.

Tate Reeves played college basketball for two years before injuring his shoulder.

FactSnippet No. 1,175,233
4.

At Millsaps College, Tate Reeves was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order, a fraternity known for racist activities, including using racial epithets and hosting Confederate-themed dances.

FactSnippet No. 1,175,234
5.

Tate Reeves became embroiled in controversy in 2019, when yearbook photos surfaced showing fraternity members in blackface and Confederate uniforms, but it is unclear whether Reeves was involved.

FactSnippet No. 1,175,235
6.

Tate Reeves worked at Park South Corporation, a subsidiary of the Deposit Guaranty National Bank, which eventually merged into AmSouth.

FactSnippet No. 1,175,236
7.

In 2000, Reeves moved to Trustmark National Bank, where he was a financial portfolio manager until 2003, when he resigned to run for state treasurer.

FactSnippet No. 1,175,237
8.

Tate Reeves ran for governor of Mississippi in the 2019 election.

FactSnippet No. 1,175,238
9.

Tate Reeves enjoyed substantial name recognition from his 16 years in statewide office, and had a significant fundraising advantage over his rivals for the Republican nomination, former state Supreme Court Justice Bill Waller Jr.

FactSnippet No. 1,175,239
10.

Tate Reeves opposed increasing the gas tax to fund road and bridge repairs, while Waller supported it.

FactSnippet No. 1,175,240
11.

In May 2022, Tate Reeves repeatedly refused to deny that he would ban birth control in Mississippi when questioned by anchor Jake Tapper.

FactSnippet No. 1,175,241
12.

In November 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Tate Reeves said he would veto any bill that expanded mail-in voting or no-excuse early voting.

FactSnippet No. 1,175,242
13.

In March 2021, Reeves acknowledged that Biden is the president of the United States and was "duly elected" but repeatedly refused to acknowledge that Biden was "legitimately and lawfully elected" or that the 2020 election was free and fair.

FactSnippet No. 1,175,243
14.

Amid the acceleration of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tate Reeves was accused of undermining efforts to contain the spread of the virus.

FactSnippet No. 1,175,244
15.

In early 2020, Reeves closed schools, declared a state of emergency, and told people to trust in the "power of prayer, " but did little to combat COVID-19 transmission.

FactSnippet No. 1,175,245
16.

Tate Reeves implemented a "stay-at-home" order in April 2020, but allowed some retail businesses to reopen shortly thereafter.

FactSnippet No. 1,175,246
17.

In December 2020, although Tate Reeves urged the public to avoid large gatherings to prevent the further spread of the virus, Tate Reeves's office invited legislators and other officials to at least three holiday parties at the Governor's Mansion in Jackson.

FactSnippet No. 1,175,247
18.

Tate Reeves initially said that the flag should only be changed through a voter-approved referendum, but later reversed himself, saying that if the Mississippi Legislature passed a bill to retire the flag without a referendum, he would sign it.

FactSnippet No. 1,175,248
19.

In 2021, Tate Reeves signed into law a narrower bill that expanded parole eligibility.

FactSnippet No. 1,175,249
20.

Tate Reeves opposed the medical marijuana initiative, but said that he would honor "the will of the voters" who had overwhelmingly voted in favor of medical marijuana.

FactSnippet No. 1,175,250
21.

Tate Reeves used his 2020 budget proposal to appeal to the conservative base.

FactSnippet No. 1,175,251