Watson wins secretary of state’s race

JACKSON, Miss. (AP)- Republican Michael Watson has won his race to be Mississippi’s next secretary of state, beating Democrat Johnny DuPree.

Watson is a lawyer who lives in Hurley. He wants the secretary of state’s office to take over issuing driver’s licenses. That current function of the Department of Public Safety is plagued by long lines. Watson has also called for checking whether people are U.S. citizens after they register to vote.

DuPree is the former mayor of Hattiesburg and 2011′s gubernatorial nominee for the Democrats. He campaigned on creating online voter registration for new voters and allowing no-excuses early voting. Watson says he’s worried about security for such voting and opposes changing Mississippi’s current system of absentee voting, which requires voters to say why they can’t come to the polls on election day.