Three states in the southern United States will hold gubernatorial races this year — excluding any potential special elections for vacated seats — all of which could serve as previews of the 2024 presidential election.

The three states — Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi — will hold off-year gubernatorial elections later this year. The last regular gubernatorial elections for all three states were in 2019, one year before the previous presidential election.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) is term-limited, meaning he cannot run for another term, leaving the door open for a crowded field, while both Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) are eligible to run for reelection.

Kentucky

Beshear is running for reelection after winning his last gubernatorial election with less than 50 percent of the vote against former Gov. Matt Bevin (R). The Democrat incumbent will be running in a state that former President Donald Trump won by over 25 points in 2020. 

Some Republicans seeking to challenge the Democrat incumbent are state Attorney General Daniel Cameron, state Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, state Auditor Mike Harmon, and former United Nations Ambassador Kelly Craft, who served under Trump. The GOP gubernatorial primary is set to take place on May 16.

Former Democrat congressional candidate Geoff Young is also running to be the state’s chief executive.

Kentucky’s general election is set for November 7.

Louisiana

Because Edwards won his second term as governor in 2019, he cannot run for reelection this year due to term limits outlined in the Louisiana Constitution, opening up the gubernatorial race to many contenders.

Louisiana holds a “jungle primary” — meaning that all candidates will compete in the primary on October 14, regardless of party affiliation. If a candidate receives at least 50 percent of the vote, that candidate is declared the winner; if not, the two candidates with the most votes will move on to a runoff election on November 18.

State Attorney General Jeff Landry (R) is so far the only GOP candidate to announce a run, while other Republicans are expected to join the race. Sen. John Kennedy (R) has said he is seriously considering a gubernatorial bid, while others weighing a run include Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser (R), Sen. Bill Cassidy (R), Rep. Garret Graves (R), state Sen. Sharon Hewitt (R) and state Treasurer John Schroder (R), according to the Lafayette Daily Advertiser.

No Democrats have yet officially joined the field, but as the Hill noted, a Democrat candidate would likely face an uphill battle, as the last time the state elected a Democrat governor before Edwards was in 2003.

Mississippi

Reeves is eligible for another term as governor after winning the last gubernatorial election with nearly 52 percent of the vote in 2019 and appears to be running again, although he has yet to make an official announcement.

Additionally, candidates cannot qualify for state offices until January 3 and have a filing deadline of February 1. Still, no Republican has officially announced plans to challenge the incumbent Republican in the August 8 primary.

But despite Reeves having a sizeable war chest, the Mississippi Clarion Ledger reported that possible challengers include state House Speaker Philip Gunn (R), Secretary of State Michael Watson (R), and former state Supreme Court Chief Justice and 2019 GOP gubernatorial contender Bill Waller Jr.

On the other side of the aisle, the Ledger also noted that Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley (D), a distant cousin of late rock legend Elvis, has been rumored to be planning a possible gubernatorial run.

Mississippi’s general election is set for November 7.

Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jbliss@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter @JacobMBliss.