About Michael

About Michael Watson


Secretary of State Michael David Watson, Jr. was born on December 22, 1977 in Pascagoula. He grew up as the son of a shipyard worker and bank teller. His father later entered the ministry and still serves as a pastor. 

Michael graduated from Pascagoula High School and went on to earn a BBA and a JD (law degree) from the University of Mississippi. While at Ole Miss, Michael served as a youth minister on the weekends at a church in his mother's hometown of Noxapater, MS. 

During the summer of 1999, he served as an intern for then U.S. Senate Majority Leader, Trent Lott. That experience strengthened his desire to one day serve the people of Mississippi as an elected official. 

Secretary Watson was elected to the Mississippi State Senate in 2007 to represent District 51.  In the Senate, Michael became known as a conservative fighter for his work to preserve Mississippians’ rights and religious liberties and to limit government overreach and spending.  Then-Governor Phil Bryant asked Michael Watson to introduce legislation adding "In God We Trust" to our state motto.  Michael also drafted the Fetal Protection Act, which strengthens the penalties for injuring an unborn child, Mississippi’s first comprehensive illegal immigration law, and legislation allowing alternate track diplomas, one of the first efforts to return a focus to career and technical training, amongst many others. 

Michael’s strong record in the legislature played a large role in his election as Mississippi’s Secretary of State in 2019. Since taking office, Secretary Watson has wasted no time making an impact on the state in several areas:

Protecting Elections
  • In the State Senate, Secretary Watson helped pass Mississippi's Voter ID law, which was the only Voter ID law in the nation not to be challenged by the federal government.  As Secretary of State, he has continued to work hard to ensure the security of Mississippi's elections.
Promoting Small Businesses
  • Secretary Watson has dedicated himself to trimming regulations and making Mississippi a better place to run a small business. 
Managing State Lands
  • As a native of Mississippi's Gulf Coast, Secretary Watson understands the importance of properly managing Tidelands and other public lands.  He has promised to keep the decisions in the hands of local officials as much as allowed by law as well as monitoring sales so that Mississippians receive fair value.
Fixing the Driver's Licensing System
  •  Secretary Watson has proposed an innovative plan to simplify Mississippi's driver's license services to improve wait times and save tax payer money.
Michael and his wife, Lauren, have three daughters, Gracie Pierce, Annie and Cora Elizabeth.
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