Jackson attorney Lucien Smith has been chairman the past three years. He said in a news release Monday that he will not seek to remain in that role but will nominate Bordeaux during the next meeting of the state party executive committee. Photo courtesy Mississippi GOP

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday that he will support Gulf Coast businessman Frank Bordeaux to become the new chairman of the state Republican Party.

Jackson attorney Lucien Smith has been chairman the past three years. He said in a news release Monday that he will not seek to remain in that role but will nominate Bordeaux during the next meeting of the state party executive committee.

Bordeaux is vice president of an insurance company and was the Harrison County chairman for Reeves' 2019 campaign for governor.

"His work ethic, integrity, and conservative credentials are unmatched," Reeves said in the GOP news release.

In July, Reeves appointed Bordeaux to a nine-member commission to propose a new state flag design. Mississippi legislators voted in late June to retire a 126-year-old state flag that was the last in the nation to include the Confederate battle emblem. Legislators said the new flag could not have the Confederate symbol and must include the phrase “In God We Trust.” The commission recommended a design with a magnolia, and that proposal will be on the Nov. 3 ballot for a yes or no vote.