CLINTON, Miss.—Former Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn is running for governor in the 2027 election, he announced at a campaign event attended by family, supporters, lawmakers and lobbyists at the Clinton Visitor Center on April 14. Here are some photos from the event. 

Philip Gunn speaks to supporters at an outside event, his family lining the space beside him
Philip Gunn’s family watches him announce his run for governor at the Clinton Visitor Center in Clinton, Miss., on April 15, 2026. MFP Photo by Heather Harrison
Philip Gunn speaks at a podium in front of a wall covered in repeating logos that reads Gunn for Governor
Philip Gunn speaks at a campaign event at the Clinton Visitor Center in Clinton, Miss., on April 14, 2026. MFP Photo by Heather Harrison
A crowd of people at an outside event supporting Philip Gunn
Supporters and family members of Philip Gunn mingle outside of the Clinton Visitor Center in Clinton, Miss., on April 14, 2026. MFP Photo by Heather Harrison 
A crowd of people at an outside event supporting Philip Gunn
Lawmakers, supporters and family members of Philip Gunn mingle outside of the Clinton Visitor Center in Clinton, Miss., on April 14, 2026. MFP Photo by Heather Harrison 
Philip Gunn speaks at a podium in front of a wall covered in repeating logos that reads Gunn for Governor
Philip Gunn speaks at a campaign event at the Clinton Visitor Center in Clinton, Miss., on April 14, 2026, while his wife, Lisa Gunn, watches. MFP Photo by Heather Harrison
Philip Gunn's family supporting him at an outside event
Philip Gunn and his family bow their heads in prayer before he announces his run for governor at the Clinton Visitor Center in Clinton, Miss., on April 15, 2026. MFP Photo by Heather Harrison
Philip Gunn speaks to supporters at an outside event
Philip Gunn laughs and shakes hands with supporters at his campaign event at the Clinton Visitor Center in Clinton, Miss., on April 14, 2026. MFP Photo by Heather Harrison

State Reporter Heather Harrison has won more than a dozen awards for her multi-media journalism work. At Mississippi State University, she studied public relations and broadcast journalism, earning her Communication degree in 2023. For three years, Heather worked at The Reflector student newspaper: first as a staff reporter, then as the news editor and finally, as the editor-in-chief. This is where her passion for politics and government reporting began.
Heather started working at the Mississippi Free Press three days after graduation in 2023. She also worked part time for Starkville Daily News after college covering the Board of Aldermen meetings.
In her free time, Heather likes to sit on the porch, read books and listen to Taylor Swift. A native of Hazlehurst, she now lives in Brandon with her wife and their Boston Terrier, Finley, and calico cat, Ravioli.