While a student at Millsaps College, Reeves's fraternity Kappa Alpha was known for racist on-campus activities including using racial epithets and hosting Confederate-themed dances. Reeves found himself embroiled in controversy when yearbook photos surfaced shoving fraternity members in blackface and Confederate uniforms, though it is unclear if Reeves himself was involved.
Early career
After Millsaps, Reeves pursued a career in banking and finance in Jackson, where he became assistant vice president for AmSouth, formerly the Deposit Guaranty National Bank, and served as a senior investment analyst. In 2000, Reeves became an investment officer for Trustmark National Bank in Jackson. Reeves holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of the CFA Society of Mississippi and the CFA Institute, an investment industry organization. In 1996, he was the recipient of the Mississippi Society of Financial Analysts Award.
Reeves entered the 2003 GOP primary election and faced former transportation commissioner Wayne Burkes of Brandon and State RepresentativeAndrew Ketchings of Natchez. Reeves ran strongly in GOP strongholds, including Lamar, DeSoto, and Rankin counties.. In the three-candidate primary, Reeves led with 49% of the vote, and routed Burkes in the primary runoff. In the general election, Reeves defeated Democratic nominee Gary Anderson, the state director of finance and administration, 52% to 48%. Unopposed in the GOP primary, Reeves's only Democratic opposition in the 2007 general election was perennial candidate Shawn O'Hara. Reeves was reelected with 61% of the vote.
Reeves served as lieutenant governor from 2012 to 2020. In February 2011, Reeves officially launched a campaign for lieutenant governor and held a fundraising lead over his primary opponent, Mississippi State Senate President Pro TemporeBilly Hewes of Gulfport. A May 2011 poll of likely Republican voters showed Reeves with a 51%–18% lead over Hewes. On August 2, 2011, Reeves defeated Hewes. On November 8, he was elected lieutenant governor, succeeding Phil Bryant, who was elected to his first term as governor. Reeves won reelection as lieutenant governor on November 3, 2015, defeating three opponents, including state Senator Timothy L. Johnson, a Republican-turned-Democrat. Newspaper reporting on the misuse of statewide public official's campaign funds indicated that Reeves did not misuse these funds. Non-election year expenses were directed toward campaign-related items such as computer databases or political travel.
Governor of Mississippi
Reeves ran for governor of Mississippi in the 2019 election. He opposed Medicaid expansion, which he called “Obamacare expansion.” In the Republican primary, he and Bill Waller Jr. finished in first and second place, respectively. Because no candidate won a majority of the total vote, Reeves and Waller proceeded to a runoff election on August 27, which Reeves won. Reeves was sworn in as governor on January 14, 2020.
In the midst of the acceleration of the COVID-19 pandemic, Reeves overrode local leaders' decisions to order people to stay at home, instead telling Mississippians get back to "life as usual" and deeming places like bars, dine-in restaurants and churches "essential services". He also refused to close down beaches. Reeves refused to announce stay-at-home orders, telling people to trust in the "power of prayer". The decision was widely condemned. Asked in late March 2020 why China could impose a lockdown but Mississippi could not, Reeves answered, "Mississippi’s never going to be China. Mississippi’s never going to be North Korea." Reeves implemented a "stay-at-home" order on April 3. In late April, he allowed some retail businesses to reopen again. At the same time, Mississippi had its largest spike of coronavirus deaths and cases.
Mississippi flag removal
In June 2020, during the George Floyd protests, debate arose about whether to change the Flag of Mississippi because it contained the Confederate insignia in the top left. Reeves supported changing the flag and said he would sign such a bill if the Mississippi Legislature passed one. On June 28, the legislature voted to change the flag, 91 to 23 in the House and 37 to 14 in the Senate. Reeves signed the legislation two days later, removing the last state flag to display the Confederate symbol.
