Brandon Everitt Presley was born on July 21, 1977, in Amory, Mississippi. He was raised in Nettleton by his mother after his father died when he was young.
His uncle, Harold Ray Presley, became a father figure to him.
Presley attended Itawamba Community College and then Mississippi State University. He began his political career at the age of 16 when he managed his uncle Harold’s successful campaign for sheriff of Lee County. In 2001, he was elected mayor of Nettleton at the age of 23, becoming the youngest mayor in Mississippi history. He served as mayor until 2007.
In 2008, Presley was elected Public Service Commissioner for the Northern District of the Mississippi Public Service Commission. He served in this role for 15 years, advocating for consumer protection and renewable energy. He was a strong opponent of the Kemper Project, a “clean coal” electricity plant development in Kemper County, which was ultimately terminated.
In 2023, Presley announced his candidacy for governor of Mississippi. He is a Democrat who is running on a platform of Medicaid expansion, rural hospital investment, and renewable energy. He won the Democratic primary and is the sole Democratic candidate for governor.
Presley is a second cousin of Elvis Presley. He is also a weight loss success story, having lost 216 pounds between 2013 and 2014. He is married to Katelyn Mabus, who is related to former Mississippi governor Ray Mabus.