A cousin of The King could soon earn the moniker The Governor, as Elvis Presley’s second cousin, Brandon Presley, is looking to become the first Democrat elected as the governor of Mississippi in nearly 20 years.
The 46-year-old Presley was gaining traction as voters made their way to the polls in the Magnolia State on Tuesday.
Presley is running against incumbent Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, whom he has outraised, according to the Cook Political Report.
And while he was raising money, the Democratic hopeful has not shied away from his familial roots, discussing his relations with The King in his announcement video.
“My cousin grew up just down the road in Tupelo. You’ve probably heard of him,” Presley said.
While the two didn’t have a close personal relationship, being that the Mississippi candidate was born three weeks before Elvis died, their family connection is still there. The candidate’s grandfather, Noah, was Elvis’ grandfather Jesse’s brother.
In his campaign against Reeves, Presley has also gone back to his working-class roots, often discussing his upbringing in poverty and the hard work it took to make a life for himself.
During a debate with Reeves, Presley said that his own mother was “somebody that Tate Reeves would say is a welfare person.”
“I’m not going to be cold-hearted to single-parent families that sometimes find themselves in this situation,” Presley said. “I believe everybody I meet is a child of God, is somebody that Jesus went to the cross to die for. And I believe we should treat them with dignity and respect.”
Reeves, who was involved in a $77 million welfare scandal that included former NFL quarterback Brett Favre, has seen his popularity in the state dwindle, leaving room for Presley to pounce.
“Under Tate Reeves, millions were steered from education and job programs to help his rich friends,” a campaign ad for Presley said. “A horse range, a volleyball stadium, even $1 million to his own personal trainer. And when the investigator got too close, Tate Reeves fired him.”
Polls close in Mississippi at 7 p.m.