On Tuesday, Mississippians will go to the polls to choose who will be the state’s next governor. The race pits incumbent Republican Tate Reeves against Democrat Brandon Presley.

I believe voting is deeply personal, so far be it from me to tell anyone how to vote.

But I also believe people should vote for the candidate who will govern in a way that represents their best interests.

That means some people should vote for Presley and others should vote for Reeves.

So let’s break it down that way.

People who should vote for Brandon Presley:

■ Anyone who believes all working Mississippians should have access to health insurance.

That group of currently uninsured working folks no doubt includes some of your friends, family members and church family. Those are the 200,000-plus workers with incomes less than 138% of the federal poverty level who would be immediately eligible for health insurance through federally-supported Medicaid expansion, something Reeves has stubbornly refused to consider, but Presley lists as a top priority.

■ Anyone who cares about the disturbing state of our healthcare system.

That includes anyone who lives in an area where the local hospital has cut services (63 percent of us), lives where the local hospital is at risk of closing (42%) or lives where the local hospital is at immediate risk of closing (30%). It includes anyone who understands that Medicaid expansion is, by far, the best tool we have to help our hospitals stay solvent and provide needed services.

■ Anyone who believes that the right to petition the government for redress of grievances assured by the U.S. Constitution should also apply to Mississippi’s state constitution.

That includes anyone who believes in the right to amend the state constitution through a ballot initiative process (72% of us, according to the latest poll). Within 48 hours of the Mississippi Supreme Court’s 2021 ruling that stripped this right from our citizens over a technicality, Presley urged Reeves to call a special session of the legislature to restore that right. He did not respond to that request.

Although Reeves has said he supports restoring the ballot initiative, he has not used the power of his office to make that happen. Reeves has been all talk, no action.

■ Anyone who believes public education is vital to the future of our state and its people.

That includes anyone who believes our public schools should be fully funded, something that hasn’t happened under the last five Republican administrations. That includes anyone who believes the so-called “Mississippi Miracle” of rising test scores should not be confined to third-grade reading, and that the millions of dollars pumped into that program to make it successful should be provided at all grade levels. That would create a real Miracle, not a mere talking point.

It also includes any public school teacher who knows that the $6,000 pay raise Reeves crows about, when distributed over the 20 years since teachers last got a pay raise, comes out to $300 per year. Reeves, meanwhile, got a $37,840 raise after just 3 years in office.

■ Anyone who believes in real economic growth.

That includes anyone who believes that Mississippi’s GDP, which is half that of neighboring Louisiana and Alabama and a third that of Tennessee, is nothing to brag about. Mississippi’s GDP growth rate of 2.4% is 45th in the nation. Reeves calls that “Mississippi Momentum.” But every person in a footrace who takes a single step off the starting line can be said to have “momentum” and that’s about all Mississippi has done under Reeves’ leadership.

■ Anyone who believes in accountability in state government.

That includes anyone who believes Reeves has violated the trust of Mississippians by his deliberate efforts to impede and limit the investigation into the biggest government corruption case in Mississippi history. Reeves’ only action related to the TANF scandal, which diverted $77 million in federal funds set aside for the poorest Mississippians to well-connected and wealthy people — including $1.1 million to Reeves’ personal fitness trainer and $10,000 to Reeve’s wife for her vanity book project — was to fire the attorney the state had hired to investigate the scandal after the attorney announced his intention to broaden the scope of the probe.

■ Anyone who believes a Governor should not use the power of his office to enrich his campaign donors or relatives.

According to a Mississippi Today report, Reeves has awarded $1.4 billion to companies whose executives have donated to his campaign. His sister-in-law has made $800,000 from multiple state contracts since he became Governor.

■ Anyone who believes a vote for the top office in the state should be earned not bestowed.

That includes anyone who understands that there are some things more important than the capital letter behind a candidate’s name, whether it’s an R or a D. It includes anyone who will take an honest look at the track record of both candidates and make a decision based on that.

People who should vote for Tate Reeves:

■ Anyone who doesn’t fit into any of the above categories.

Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].

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