FIRST ON FOX: Mississippi State Auditor Shad White, who says his office uncovered more than $75 million in stolen or misspent taxpayer funds over eight years, told Fox News Digital that he is launching a bid for governor to take on corruption and political insiders in the Magnolia State.
White, a veteran of Operation Epic Fury in Iran and supporter of President Donald Trump, pledged to restore accountability and transparency to the state government, vowing to use findings from his office’s audits to eliminate wasteful contracts, sweetheart deals and unnecessary spending.
“There might be two parties in Jackson, but there’s only one good ol’ boys’ club,” White, a captain in the state’s National Guard, told Fox News Digital. “They tried to ban my office from even looking for government waste. As governor, I’m shutting the whole rotten system down.”
“The reason I’m running is because we absolutely have to cut down on the fraud and corruption plaguing Mississippi,” White continued. “People are hurting right now. What we unfortunately have here in Mississippi is a lack of political courage.”
White, who served overseas with the Mississippi National Guard in 2026, drew comparisons between the courage he witnessed among service members and what he described as a lack of political courage among Mississippi’s elected officials.
“What I saw overseas was courage. The people of Mississippi would be much better off if our politicians had one-tenth of the courage the members I served with overseas had,” White said.
Earlier this year, White’s office reported to The Daily Signal that it uncovered more than $10.5 million in Medicaid benefits provided to illegal immigrants in Mississippi.
According to his office, the auditor has uncovered and tracked massive public fraud, centering on over $77 million in misspent Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) welfare funds as part of a broader enforcement record that includes $75 million recovered and $115 million in financial demands issued across multiple investigations.
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White pledged to continue cracking down on government waste and improper spending, and he outlined an economic agenda centered on reducing taxes and easing the financial burden on Mississippi families.
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“Mississippi families are getting squeezed at the grocery store, for their car tags, and every time the property tax bill shows up,” White said. “Meanwhile, the insiders are getting richer and richer. We’re going to take the money they’ve wasted and give it back to the people who earned it. We will cut your grocery tax, cut the car tax, and freeze your property taxes. Our families need relief, and when I’m governor, they’re going to get it.”
White enters a gubernatorial field that includes Attorney General Lynn Fitch, Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson, former state House Speaker Philip Gunn and former Democratic Senate primary candidate Priscilla W. Till.
The candidates are seeking to succeed Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, who took office in 2020 and is barred by term limits from seeking a third consecutive term in 2027.
White also pledged to prioritize the state’s military families and veterans, citing his own experience serving overseas.
“I know what veterans go through about how hard it is to leave your family, how difficult it is to fight for the benefits that you have been promised by the government. So as governor of Mississippi, I want to fight for the men and women every single day,” White told Fox News Digital.
White argued that his military experience would also give him a unique perspective as commander in chief of the Mississippi National Guard, a responsibility held by the state’s governor.
The Mississippi gubernatorial election is scheduled for November 2027.