Author: Michael Watson

Secretary of State Michael David Watson, Jr., was born and raised in Mississippi. He is a husband to his loving wife Lauren, father of three beautiful young daughters, the son of a shipyard worker and bank teller. After his work as a pipefitter, Watson’s father entered the ministry and continues to serve as pastor at Liberty Church in Gautier. His mother passed away shortly before Watson became Mississippi’s thirty-sixth Secretary of State. As Secretary of State, he is focused on emphasizing the importance of clean voter rolls and continuing strong enforcement of Mississippi’s Voter ID law to protect the integrity of Mississippi elections. Since taking office, he’s fought to push legislation to ensure only United States citizens are registered to vote in Mississippi. Watson is also working to reduce regulations and red tape so small businesses can grow and flourish in a free market economy to bring about a more efficient and effective state government. During his first year as Secretary of State, he launched the Tackle the Tape Initiative, which promotes competition and encourages innovation and job growth to help increase economic opportunities for all Mississippians.