Michael Watson is in his second term as Mississippi’s 36th Secretary of State.

Before taking office as Secretary of State, Watson served three terms in the State Senate, representing District 51 in Jackson County.

A graduate of Pascagoula High School and the University of Mississippi, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and a law degree, Watson began his work in public service as an intern for then-U.S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott in the summer of 1999. That experience strengthened his desire to become a public servant and improve the quality of life for all Mississippians.