Mississippi Republicans looking forward to an abundance of candidates in the 2027 primary for governor cannot yet add businessman Tommy Duff to the list. But it’s clear from his interview on the Mississippi Today website that he’s thinking about running.
“If I can be of service, and enough people believe in that, then perhaps we can all together move Mississippi forward,” Duff said. “So that’s where I stand now. ”
Duff and his brother took a small tire company and grew it with acquisitions, making the two men billionaires and the wealthiest residents of Mississippi. Tommy Duff served eight years on the College Board, has contributed to many Republican political campaigns and this year formed a political action committee to support GOP candidates in the state.
The interview gave Duff a chance to introduce himself to voters who don’t know him. He described himself as a conservative, favoring less government and no tax increases.
He talked about his start in business, when he took over management of Southern Tire Mart, which his father owned, with seven employees and losing money every month. Over the next few years he turned it around and realized the business had potential. The results make the Duff brothers’ achievements evident.
He said supply chain issues and tariffs have affected his business. Domestic truck tire manufacturing only provides 70% of what his companies need, which means the remaining 30% has to be imported.
“We need more domestic manufacturing,” Duff said. “There is the demand. There’s just not the manufacturing capacity.”
He predicted foreign governments and companies will absorb a large portion of any U.S. tariffs set up by President Trump, calling it a short-term situation that will produce long-term benefits.
He said the Mississippi labor market will attract more workers when people have better access to child-care and medical insurance, benefits he said are as important as wages. As for Medicaid, Duff said more residents need better care, but he wants to see how Trump’s changes to Medicaid play out before committing to a specific course.
He supports some form of school choice, preferring to leave the details to communities and parents. And he’d like to do something about the state’s brain drain, which is causing the state to lose many of its college graduates.
Nothing in this interview will scare Republican voters away from Duff. He addressed many issues directly and thoughtfully. There’s really only one question: Can he win against what is likely to be a crowded field?
Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson is in. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann has said it looks like he will run too. Attorney General Lynn Fitch and State Auditor Shad White also appear likely to run.
Where does Duff, one of the most successful businessmen in Mississippi history, fit in? Can he duplicate the 1991 upset that Kirk Fordice pulled off, first beating State Auditor Pete Johnson in the Republican primary and then denying Gov. Ray Mabus a second term?
Duff said he enjoys his job so much that he’s never worked a day in his life. Is he willing to set all that aside for the demanding mission of being governor? Or is the better move to use his PAC money to support the candidates he chooses?
