1971 Mississippi gubernatorial election

Last updated

1971 Mississippi gubernatorial election
Flag of Mississippi (1894-1996).svg
  1967 November 2, 1971 1975  
  Bill Waller.jpg Charles Evers, 1964.jpg
Nominee Bill Waller Charles Evers
Party Democratic Independent
Popular vote601,222172,762
Percentage77.0%22.1%

1971 Mississippi gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County results

Waller:     50-60%     60-70%     70-80%     80-90%     >90%

Contents

Evers:     40-50%     50-60%     60-70%

Governor before election

John Bell Williams
Democratic

Elected Governor

Bill Waller
Democratic

The 1971 Mississippi gubernatorial election took place on 2 November 1971 for the post of Governor of Mississippi. The incumbent governor, Democrat John Bell Williams, was ineligible due to term limits, a rule that was changed to two back-to-back terms in the 1980s. [1]

Democrat Bill Waller, the former District Attorney of Hinds County, was chosen as his party's nominee in a contested primary. Running as an independent, Mayor of Fayette Charles Evers became the first African-American candidate for governor of Mississippi. [2]

As of 2023, this is the most recent time that Rankin County voted Democratic in a gubernatorial election.

Democratic primary

Mississippi Democratic Party primary, 1971 [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Charles L. Sullivan 288,219 37.78
Democratic William L. Waller 227,424 29.81
Democratic James E. "Jimmy" Swan 128,94616.90
Democratic Roy C. Adams45,4455.96
Democratic Ed Pittman 38,1705.00
Democratic Marshall Perry18,0212.36
Democratic Andrew W. Sullivan16,7622.20

Democratic primary runoff

Mississippi Democratic Party primary runoff, August 24, 1971 [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic William L. Waller 389,952 54.22
Democratic Charles L. Sullivan329,23645.78

Republican primary

No Republican primary was held.

General election

Evers' campaign was supported by civil rights leader Coretta Scott King, the Congressional Black Caucus, and Mayor of New York John Lindsay. [2]

According to TheNew York Times, Waller ran a relatively moderate campaign. However, one report noted that Waller's campaign featured "racially ragged edges", such as airing radio commercials that played the song "Dixie" and receiving support from segregationist politicians like James Eastland. [4]

Following Waller's victory, Evers drove across town to a local TV station to congratulate him. A reporter later wrote that:

Waller's aides learned Evers was in the building and tried to hustle the governor-elect out of the studio as soon as the interview ended. They were not quite quick enough. Surrounded by photographers, reporters, and television crews, Evers approached Waller's car just as it was about to pull out. Waller and his wife were in the back seat. "I just wanted to congratulate you," said Evers. "Whaddya say, Charlie?" boomed Waller. His wife leaned across with a stiff smile and shook the loser's hand. During the campaign Evers told reporters that his main purpose in running was to encourage registration of black voters. [5]

Results

Mississippi gubernatorial election, 1971 [3]
CandidateVotes %±
Democratic William L. Waller 601,222 77.02
Independent Charles Evers172,76222.13
Independent Tom P. Brady 6,6530.85

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Evers</span> American civil rights activist (1922–2020)

James Charles Evers was an American civil rights activist, businessman, radio personality, and politician. Evers was known for his role in the civil rights movement along with his younger brother Medgar Evers. After serving in World War II, Evers began his career as a disc jockey at WHOC in Philadelphia, Mississippi. In 1954, he was made the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) State Voter Registration chairman. After his brother's assassination in 1963, Evers took over his position as field director of the NAACP in Mississippi. In this role, he organized and led many demonstrations for the rights of African Americans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Eastland</span> American politician (1904–1986)

James Oliver Eastland was an American attorney, plantation owner, and politician from Mississippi. A Democrat, he served in the United States Senate in 1941 and again from 1943 until his resignation on December 27, 1978. Eastland was a segregationist who led the Southern resistance against racial integration during the civil rights movement, often speaking of African Americans as "an inferior race". Eastland has been called the "Voice of the White South" and the "Godfather of Mississippi Politics".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Waller</span> American politician (1926–2011)

William Lowe Waller Sr. was an American politician and attorney. A Democrat, Waller served as the 56th governor of Mississippi from 1972 to 1976. Born near Oxford, Mississippi to a farming family, Waller went to law school and in 1950 established a law practice in Jackson. Nine years later, he was elected District Attorney of Hinds County, Mississippi. Waller attempted to reform the position and provoked the ire of local law enforcement for aggressively prosecuting several cases. In 1964, he twice prosecuted Byron De La Beckwith for the murder of civil rights activist Medgar Evers, with both trials resulting in deadlocked juries. In 1967, he launched an unsuccessful campaign for governor, finishing fifth in the Democratic primary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles L. Sullivan</span> American politician

Charles L. Sullivan was an American politician, attorney and military pilot. He served the 24th Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi from 1968 to 1972 under Governor John Bell Williams. He was also a general in the United States Air National Guard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1956 United States Senate elections</span>

The 1956 United States Senate elections were elections for the United States Senate that coincided with the re-election of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The 32 seats of Class 3 were contested in regular elections, and three special elections were held to fill vacancies. Although Democrats gained two seats in regular elections, the Republicans gained two seats in special elections, leaving the party balance of the chamber unchanged.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1974 South Carolina gubernatorial election</span>

The 1974 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1974 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Initially considered a longshot candidate, Republican James B. Edwards defeated Democrat W. J. Bryan Dorn with a narrow majority of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1970 Georgia gubernatorial election</span>

The 1970 Georgia gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1970. It was marked by the election as Governor of Georgia of the relatively little-known former state senator Jimmy Carter after a hard battle in the Democratic primary. This election is famous because Carter, who was often regarded as one of the New South Governors, later ran for president in 1976 on his gubernatorial record and won. As of 2024, this was the last time Fulton County was carried by the Republican candidate in a gubernatorial election, the only time it failed to back Carter, and the last time a Democrat in any race won without carrying it. It is also the last time that Clarke County voted for the Republican candidate for governor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1964 United States presidential election in Alabama</span>

The 1964 United States presidential election in Alabama was held on November 3, 1964. Alabama voters chose ten representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for President and Vice-president. In Alabama, voters voted for electors individually instead of as a slate, as in the other states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jumaane Williams</span> American politician (born 1976)

Jumaane D. Williams is an American activist and politician who has served as the New York City Public Advocate since 2019. He is a former member of the New York City Council from the 45th district, which includes East Flatbush, Flatbush, Flatlands, Marine Park, and Midwood in Brooklyn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1978 United States Senate election in Mississippi</span>

The 1978 United States Senate election in Mississippi was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator James Eastland decided to retire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 United States House of Representatives elections</span> House elections for the 116th U.S. Congress

The 2018 United States House of Representatives elections were held on November 6, 2018, as part of the 2018 midterm elections during President Donald Trump's term, with early voting taking place in some states in the weeks preceding that date. Voters chose representatives from all 435 congressional districts across each of the 50 U.S. states to serve in the 116th United States Congress. Non-voting delegates from the District of Columbia and four of the five inhabited U.S. territories were also elected. On Election Day, Republicans had held a House majority since January 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States gubernatorial elections</span>

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 8, 2022, in 36 states and three territories. As most governors serve four-year terms, the last regular gubernatorial elections for all but two of the seats took place in the 2018 U.S. gubernatorial elections. The gubernatorial elections took place concurrently with several other federal, state, and local elections, as part of the 2022 midterm elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1972 United States Senate elections in Georgia</span>

The 1972 United States Senate election in Georgia took place on November 7, 1972, as one of that year's United States Senate elections. It was held concurrently with the 1972 presidential election. This seat had opened up following the death of Richard B. Russell in 1971. Shortly thereafter, Governor of Georgia Jimmy Carter appointed David H. Gambrell to fill Russell's vacant seat. The Democratic Party nominee was Sam Nunn, a conservative Democrat and member of the Georgia House of Representatives, and the Republican Party nominated Fletcher Thompson, the Representative from the Atlanta-area 5th congressional district of Georgia. In the primary, Nunn emerged victorious from a crowded field of Democratic candidates, including Gambrell and former Georgia Governor Ernest Vandiver. Despite President Richard Nixon defeating George McGovern in Georgia in the presidential election on the same day, Nunn defeated Thompson in both the special election 52% to 47% and general election 54% to 46%, both of which appeared on the same ballot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Rochester mayoral election</span>

The Rochester Mayoral Election of 2013 took place on November 5, 2013 in the City of Rochester, New York, United States. Democratic Mayor Thomas Richards, who first took office following Robert Duffy's resignation to take office of Lieutenant-Governor of New York in 2011, ran for reelection and was defeated in both the Democratic Primary and the general election by former City Council President Lovely A. Warren. Green Party candidate Alex White also ran and received a notable 5% of the vote. Considered a major upset victory, Lovely Warren defeated the incumbent mayor Richards in their party's primary against most major polling predictions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 United States elections</span>

The 2021 United States elections were held in large part on Tuesday, November 2, 2021. This off-year election included the regular gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia. In addition, state legislative elections were held for the New Jersey Legislature and Virginia House of Delegates, along with numerous state legislative special elections, citizen initiatives, mayoral races, and a variety of other local elections. Six special elections to the United States House of Representatives also took place on November 2 or earlier as a result of either deaths or vacancies. The first of these was held on March 20.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1971 Chicago mayoral election</span>

The Chicago mayoral election of 1971, held on April 6, 1971, was a contest between incumbent Democrat Richard J. Daley and Republican Richard E. Friedman. Daley won by a landslide 40% margin, and it was his fifth consecutive mayoral win, the longest serving mayor of Chicago until that time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 United States elections</span>

The 2023 United States elections were held, in large part, on Tuesday, November 7, 2023. The off-year election included gubernatorial and state legislative elections in a few states, as well as numerous citizen initiatives, mayoral races, and a variety of other local offices on the ballot. At least three special elections to the United States Congress were scheduled as either deaths or vacancies arose. The Democratic Party retained control of the governorship in Kentucky, flipped the Wisconsin Supreme Court and held a seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, gained six seats in the New Jersey General Assembly, and won back unified control of the Virginia General Assembly, while Republicans also flipped the governorship in Louisiana and narrowly retained Mississippi's governorship. The election cycle also saw Ohio voting to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution and legalize cannabis for recreational use. The results were widely seen as a success for the Democratic Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Pillen</span> Governor of Nebraska since 2023

James Douglas Pillen is an American politician, veterinarian and livestock producer serving as the 41st and current governor of Nebraska since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, Pillen served on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents from 2013 to 2023.

In the 1976 United States presidential election, Jimmy Carter and his running mate, Walter Mondale, were elected president and vice president, defeating incumbent Republican president Gerald Ford and his running mate, Bob Dole.

The 1964 presidential campaign of Lyndon B. Johnson was a successful campaign for Johnson and his running mate Hubert Humphrey for their election as president and vice president of the United States. They defeated Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater and vice presidential nominee William Miller. Johnson, a Democrat and former vice president under John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as president upon Kennedy's assassination. In 1964, Johnson did not look optimistically upon the prospect of being elected president in his own right. Despite Johnson's uncertainty about running, he was seen as the most likely candidate to get the nomination. He entered the primaries starting with New Hampshire and won the state by almost 29,000 votes. Johnson's main opponent in the primaries was Alabama Governor George Wallace, who had announced his intention to seek the presidency even before Kennedy's assassination.

References

  1. "Gov.-elect Bryant's 8 appointments could impact college board". November 22, 2011. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
  2. 1 2 McFadden, Robert D. (July 22, 2020). "Charles Evers, Businessman and Civil Rights Leader, Dies at 97". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 Sumners, Cecil L. (1998). The Governors of Mississippi. Pelican Publishing. p. 140. ISBN   9781455605217.
  4. Reed, Roy (November 3, 1971). "Evers Is Defeated In Large Turnout In Mississippi Vote". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  5. Powers, Thomas. "Letter from a Lost Campaign". Harper's Magazine (March 1972).