Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann mistakenly claimed former Senator Thad Cochran was deceased in a speech to University of Mississippi students yesterday.
After answering a question from a student about the relationship between Hosemann and Cochran, Hosemann said, “He’s deceased, so I’m not real close.”
He later corrected himself after his speech ended.
“Thad has been great,” Hosemann said. “He’s awesome with me and a whole bunch of other people.”
In a statement to the Clarion-Ledger, Hosemann apologized for his comments.
“If you listened to all of my remarks today, I explained my deeply-held respect and personal friendship with Sen. Cochran, which carries on today. I made an improper comment, and I sincerely apologize,” Hosemann said.
Cochran, 81, retired last from the U.S. Senate last April after serving for 40 years. Despite health concerns, Cochran is indeed alive.
Hosemann was on campus speaking to students in the School of Journalism and New Media. He was invited to campus by Charlie Mitchell — both natives of Vicksburg — to speak about communications law and the relationship between the media and politicians.
“In Mississippi, secretaries of state direct all aspects of elections, including campaign advertising which is governed by a whole bevy of laws,” Mitchell said. “He has also run four campaigns, three of them statewide.”
Mitchell’s course, Communications Law, is mandatory for all journalism and integrated marketing communication majors.
“I try to have at least one notable each semester, usually someone in the news for dealing with the First Amendment or other topic related to the course,” Mitchell said.
Hosemann discussed the main publication-related Mississippi laws he has had experience with during his time in Mississippi politics.
“There is a law in Mississippi that in the event that a newspaper publishes something that is derogatory to you — not true — it has to publish your reply,” Hosemann said. “They have to give you the same amount of space in the same place in the newspaper.”
He added that he isn’t aware of that law ever being used in court.
Hosemann said that he sees journalism as a way to interact with individual voters, because he can’t interact with every voter, but he can interact with reporters who will.
“The best thing to do is to personalize your relationship to where they feel comfortable talking to you,” Hosemann said.
He suggested asking subjects about their personal interests, like hobbies or reading lists, to make them more comfortable.
He said his campaigns have focused on positive messaging. He advised marketing students to focus on whom they’re advertising to.
“You’re looking at who you’re trying to impact and over 75% of (Mississippians) don’t have a college degree, so where are you going with your advertising?” Hosemann asked. “The way to reach that market, most of the time, is by repetitive positive statements.”
Hosemann recommended that his audience take a year to travel after college, avoid unnecessary debt and stay in Mississippi for their careers, emphasizing the state’s need for young graduates.
Mississippi is currently the leading state in an exodus of millennials, having lost 3.9 percent of its millennial residents between 2010 and 2016, according to Mississippi Today.
Hosemann is currently running for Mississippi lieutenant governor as a Republican against Democrat Jay Hughes and Republican Shane Quick.
