JACKSON - Governor Phil Bryant won a second term as governor of Mississippi Tuesday night.

Bryant easily defeated two candidates who ran low-budget campaigns, the Associated Press reported. Robert Gray and Shawn O'Hara lost. Gray spent about $3,000 and O'Hara spent about $300.

Bryant, 60, spent about $2.7 million. He campaigned by saying he has focused on creating jobs and making specific changes to education policy, such as creating charter schools and emphasizing reading skills in early grades.

Close to 250,000 votes were cast. Bryant received 171,281 – 69%, according to Jackson-area ABC affiliate WAPT.

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