Philip Gunn
Former House speaker who moved from expected-entry chatter into the declared field with an April 14 campaign kickoff, then spent the next week framing his bid around his 12-year legislative record, conservative policy wins, and an unusually rare speaker-to-governor path.
Why this ranking: Official launch is now followed by April 20-21 post-launch reporting that sharpens his pitch around leadership, his legislative record, and the rare speaker-to-governor path he is trying to take.
Quick answer
Is Philip Gunn running for Mississippi governor in 2027?
Yes. Philip Gunn is in the declared Mississippi governor field right now. Former House speaker who moved from expected-entry chatter into the declared field with an April 14 campaign kickoff, then spent the next week framing his bid around his 12-year legislative record, conservative policy wins, and an unusually rare speaker-to-governor path.
Why this ranking: Philip Gunn clears the declared threshold because there is a formal campaign launch or explicit public candidacy on the record, not just donor-room chatter.
Next: State of the race · Sources hub · News file · All candidates
Philip Gunn’s post-launch pitch is now record-first
The durable read after the Clinton kickoff is no longer just “Gunn announced.” The strongest April 20-21 coverage says he is selling a battle-tested, legislative-record case: tax cuts, conservative policy wins, education, health care, jobs, and a 12-year speaker résumé that gives donors and endorsers something concrete to judge.
Compare the declared Republican baseline
Andy Gipson and Philip Gunn are the cleanest current declared-candidate comparison in the 2027 Republican governor field. Use the side-by-side page for the résumé, message-lane, and money-signal contrast without treating undeclared contenders as announced candidates.
Why this page exists
This profile gives Philip Gunn a stable, indexable page that readers can cite directly instead of linking to a long overview section. The overview page still serves as the hub, but this page is the clean permalink for background, status, and sourcing.
Current read
Former House speaker who moved from expected-entry chatter into the declared field with an April 14 campaign kickoff, then spent the next week framing his bid around his 12-year legislative record, conservative policy wins, and an unusually rare speaker-to-governor path.
Status note: Official launch is now followed by April 20-21 post-launch reporting that sharpens his pitch around leadership, his legislative record, and the rare speaker-to-governor path he is trying to take.
Official and campaign links
- No public campaign or official links are listed yet.
Source notes
- DeSoto County News via Mississippi Today — Former Speaker Philip Gunn says he's running for governor on his record in Legislature
- The Dispatch — Bobby Harrison: Philip Gunn eyes rare Mississippi feat of serving as speaker and then governor
- Magnolia Tribune — Now running for governor, Philip Gunn sits for wide-ranging interview with Magnolia Tribune
- Mississippi Free Press — Philip Gunn promises to protect Mississippi's values if elected governor
- Mississippi Today — Ex-House Speaker Philip Gunn enters governor’s race, pledging tax reform and job growth
- WLBT — Former Speaker Philip Gunn announces bid for Mississippi governor
- Magnolia Tribune — Gunn officially enters the Mississippi Governor race
- Mississippi Today — Former House Speaker Philip Gunn expected to announce this month he's running for governor
- Magnolia Tribune — Visions of sugar plums as 2027 race for governor starts
- Magnolia Tribune — Republicans carry a deep bench into 2027 state elections
- SuperTalk Mississippi — Former Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn eyeing governor's office