Mississippi's Republican gubernatorial candidates are on the attack.

After last week's primary, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves swiftly launched a new campaign offensive against his GOP runoff opponent Bill Waller Jr., labeling the former state Supreme Court justice as something less than a real conservative.

"While I respect Justice Waller, he is a good man, he is not a conservative. He says we need a progressive approach, much like what the Democrats say," Reeves said at a news conference the day after the primary. The Reeves campaign followed up with a television ad over the weekend, characterizing Waller as akin to the Democratic nominee, Attorney General Jim Hood.

On Tuesday, two weeks before the runoff, Waller released his rebuttal. The TV ad portrays Reeves as an out-of-control child at a birthday party, and Waller as the adult who can lead the state into the future. It's titled, "Conservative Solutions or Politics as Usual?"

"You've probably noticed, Tate Reeves is swinging at Bill Waller," the narrator says, as a boy — Reeves — makes a mess swinging at a piñata. "It's getting reckless. Really, it's out of control. Maybe it's time for the adults to step in."

Waller enters the screen and says: "We don't have time for this mudslinging and nonsense. You deserve better."

Before the primary, the two Republicans mostly avoided criticizing each other.

Reeves trained his attacks and TV ads on Hood and national Democrats, looking beyond his primary opponents Waller and state Rep. Robert Foster.

Waller primarily focused on issues such as fixing roads and bridges, helping rural hospitals and increasing teacher pay — only critiquing Reeves on policy issues in the final days before the primary.

Neither candidate is holding back now.

Reeves' new ad, titled "Mississippi Decides Now," begins with a shot of the Democratic presidential debates, claiming America is deciding between a "slide toward socialism, or keep our nation strong."

"Mississippi has to make our choice now," the narrator continues. It says Waller and Hood both want "higher taxes," referencing Waller's support for raising the gas tax by several cents to help fund road and bridge repairs. It also mentions both candidates' support for a type of Medicaid expansion, which the ad characterizes as "Obamacare expansion."

Meanwhile, Waller portrays himself as offering solutions to the state's largest issues, which he claims have not been adequately addressed under the leadership of Reeves and Gov. Phil Bryant. Waller often mentions that former Republican President Ronald Reagan supported raising the federal gas tax to pay for infrastructure. He discusses how former Indiana Gov. Mike Pence backed a type of Medicaid health insurance expansion for the working poor.

"Mississippi has big challenges — roads, bridges, education and health care," said Waller in the new TV ad, as the child playing Reeves wildly swings his bat in the background. "I'm offering conservative solutions, not politics as usual."

In last week's primary, Reeves won 49 percent of the vote and Waller took 33 percent. Foster received 18 percent. The results show Waller must bring in tens of thousands of new supporters before Aug. 27, after finishing well behind Reeves in the primary. His efforts were bolstered Tuesday, however, when Foster endorsed his candidacy.

Endorsement:Robert Foster endorses Bill Waller ahead of Mississippi governor primary runoff

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Contact Luke Ramseth at 601-961-7050 or lramseth@gannett.com. Follow @lramseth on Twitter.