Ecstatic Mississippi Republican leaders called Wednesday to demand unity and healing hours after Donald Trump won the presidential election. Governor Phil Bryant said, “I ask all Mississippians that are either rejoicing today or brooding to put aside your pride and disappointment and come together.” Phil Bryant said. “Mississippi has been misunderstood, just like Donald Trump,” Bryant said. Bryant stated, “We’re only seen for our shortcomings.” At the GOP headquarters in Jackson, Bryant was joined by U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper and Treasurer Lynn Fitch. Joe Nosef, GOP Chairman, Dane Maxwell, and Trump Mississippi Director Dane Maxwell. They praised Trump supporters for placing Donald Trump in a position to lead the United States, from the White House. Bryant was close to Trump’s side during the campaign. Rumours circulated that Bryant could be Trump’s Secretary of Agriculture. Bryant didn’t discredit these rumors Wednesday but he stated that he doesn’t expect to be considered. The governor campaigned in several states for the New York business mogul, including the key battleground states of Florida and Pennsylvania, the weekend before the election. According to Republican insiders, Bryant raised more than $2 million in Mississippi for Trump’s campaign. Harper, who was reelected Tuesday to Congress, expressed gratitude to the voters and state party for helping him win and Trump’s victory. Harper, who is about to enter his fourth two-year term as Congressman, stated that he believes House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) will keep his position of Speaker. This was contrary to media reports. Harper stated that “we have the chance to fix some of this mismanagement that was caused by the Obama administration in the past eight years.” Harper was among the many officials who praised U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, who, as Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, helped to keep the Republican majority in Congress. Bryant suggested Wicker be elected Senate majority chief. Fitch, who was the head of Mississippi Women for Trump said that she expected Trump’s presidency will bring economic benefits to Mississippi. Fitch called for unity between the American people, saying that “we move better together as an unified front than divided.” Bryant also said that Mississippi has made an indelible impression on the election. “The president elect is a person who knows her state and her people. There’s the potential for us to come together and lift his administration and our nation. Donald Trump is a Mississippian.” To support this important work, you can make a recurring gift today to celebrate our Spring Member Drive. Our reporters give a human face to policy’s impact on everyday Mississippians by listening more closely and understanding their communities. To ensure that our work is aligned with the priorities and needs of Mississippians, we are listening to you. Click the button below to let us know what you think. Republish this Story You can freely republish our articles online or in print under a Creative Commons licence. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Mississippi Today, Adam Ganucheau
November 9, 2016, Adam Ganucheau is Mississippi Today’s editor in chief. He oversees the newsroom with the editorial staff to achieve our mission of producing journalism that is both high-quality and public-interest. Since February 2016, Adam Ganucheau has been covering politics and state government at Mississippi Today. A native of Hazlehurst, Adam has worked as a staff reporter for AL.com, The Birmingham News and The Clarion-Ledger and his work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Adam received his bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Mississippi. Phil Bryant, who blames low test scores on “working mothers who made dumb children;”_x000D