2003 Mississippi elections

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:ElectionsMS A general election was held in Mississippi on November 4, 2003, to elect to four-year terms all members of the state legislature (122 representatives, 52 senators), the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, state treasurer, state auditor, secretary of state, commissioner of agriculture and commerce, and commissioner of insurance, plus all three members of the Transportation Commission and all three members of the Public Service Commission.

Results for the state legislature

All 122 representatives and all 52 senators are elected for four-year terms with no term limits. The state legislature draws up separate district map for the House of Representatives and for the Senate every 10 years following each census.Template:Sfn

Background for statewide elections

According to Article 5, Sections 140-41 of the state constitution, the governor and the other seven statewide officers are elected if they receive a majority of electoral votes and a majority of the direct total popular vote. A candidate wins an electoral vote by winning a plurality of the votes in a state house district. With 122 House Districts, a majority of electoral votes is 62. When no candidate receives both majorities, the House of Representatives decides the election between the two persons receiving the highest number of popular votes.Template:SfnTemplate:Efn

Governor

Incumbent Democrat Ronnie Musgrove faced Republican challenger Haley Barbour as well as the Constitution Party's John Thomas Cripps, the Green Party's Sherman Lee Dillon, and the Reform Party's Shawn O'Hara. In 1999, Lieutenant Governor Musgrove, won the gubernatorial election against Republican Mike Parker, a former U.S. representative, in a close election that necessitated the Mississippi House of Representatives to decide the outcome because of a tie in the electoral votes. Musgrove lost his re-election bid in 2003 to Barbour after a competitive race.

Results for governor's raceTemplate:Sfn
Party	Candidate	Popular votes	Pop. vote %	Electoral votes	Electoral vote %
Republican	Haley Barbour	470,404	52.59%	76	62.30%
Democrat	Ronnie Musgrove	409,787	45.81%	46	37.70%
Constitution	John Thomas Cripps	6,317	0.71%	0	0.00%
Reform	Shawn O'Hara	4,070	0.46%	0	0.00%
Green	Sherman Lee Dillon	3,909	0.44%	0	0.00%
Total		894,487	100.00%	122	100.0%

Lieutenant governor

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Barbara Blackmon, state senator
• Troy D. Brown Sr., business owner
• James L. Roberts Jr., judge on the Mississippi Supreme Court

Results

Democratic primary resultsTemplate:Sfn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Barbara Blackmon		53.7%
		James L. Roberts, Jr.		36.9%
		Troy D. Brown, Sr.		9.4%
Total votes				100.0

Republican nomination

Candidate

• Amy Tuck, incumbent

General election

Amy Tuck, elected to the office in 1999 as a Democrat, had switched to the Republican Party in December 2002 after taking positions on several issues, like re-districting, that opposed the state Democratic Party's stances. In her race for reelection, her challenger was Democratic state senator Barbara Blackmon, who was the first black woman to run for a statewide race. Tuck defeated Blackmon in the election.

Results

Results for lieutenant governor's raceTemplate:Sfn
Party	Candidate	Popular votes	Pop. vote %	Electoral votes	Electoral vote %
Republican	Amy Tuck	542,129	60.98%	84	68.85%
Democrat	Barbara Blackmon	329,454	37.06%	38	31.15%
Reform	Anna Reives	17,481	1.97%	0	0.00%
Total		889,064	100.00%	122	100.00%

Attorney general

Democratic nomination

Candidate

• Jim Hood, district attorney of Northern Mississippi

Republican nomination

Candidate

• Scott Newton, former FBI agent

General election

Mike Moore, a Democrat who had served four terms starting in 1988, declined to run for re-election. Moore's protégé Jim Hood faced Republican Scott Newton. Newton ran many ads attacking Hood on being soft on crime and especially criticized Hood's handling of a rape case, while Hood focused on Newton's supposed inexperience. Hood won the election over Newton.

Results

Results for attorney general's raceTemplate:Sfn
Party	Candidate	Popular votes	Pop. vote %	Electoral votes	Electoral vote %
Democrat	Jim Hood	548,046	62.69%	100	81.97%
Republican	Scott Newton	326,042	37.30%	22	18.03%
Total		874,088	100.00%	122	100.0%

State Treasurer

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Gary Anderson
• Cindy Ayers Elliott
• Robert H. Smith

Results

Democratic primary resultsTemplate:Sfn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Gary Anderson		40.1%
		Robert H. Smith		35.3%
		Cindy Ayers Eliott		24.7%
Total votes				100.0

Runoff

Democratic runoff resultsTemplate:Sfn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Gary Anderson		53.3%
		Robert H. Smith		46.7%
Total votes				100.0

Republican primary

Candidates

• Wayne Burkes
• Andrew Ketchings
• Tate Reeves, banker

Results

Republican primary resultsTemplate:Sfn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Tate Reeves		48.6%
		Wayne Burkes		31.1%
		Andrew Ketchings		20.3%
Total votes				100.0

Runoff

Republican runoff resultsTemplate:Sfn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Tate Reeves		69.0%
		Wayne Burkes		31.0%
Total votes				100.0

General election

Four-term Democrat Marshall Bennett resigned in early 2003 to join a New York City law firm and was replaced by Peyton Prospere, who was appointed by Governor Musgrove to complete the term. With Prospere not seeking election in his own right, Gary Anderson ran for the Democrats. The Republicans chose 29-year-old banker Tate Reeves. In a close race, Reeves won over Anderson.

Results

Results for state treasurer's raceTemplate:Sfn
Party	Candidate	Popular votes	Pop. vote %	Electoral votes	Electoral vote %
Republican	Tate Reeves	447,860	51.80%	66	54.10%
Democrat	Gary Anderson	403,307	46.64%	56	45.90%
Reform	Lee Dilworth	13,507	1.56%	0	0.00%
Total		864,674	100.00%	122	100.0%

State Auditor

Reform nomination

Candidate

• Billy Blackburn

Republican nomination

Candidate

• Phil Bryant, incumbent

General election

Republican Phil Bryant, first appointed by Gov. Kirk Fordice in 1996 to fill an unexpired term and then won in 1999, won over Reform Party candidate Billy Blackburn.

Results

Results for state auditor's raceTemplate:Sfn
Party	Candidate	Popular votes	Pop. vote %	Electoral votes	Electoral vote %
Republican	Phil Bryant	587,212	76.31%	119	97.54%
Reform	Billy Blackburn	182,292	23.69%	3	2.46%
Total		769,504	100.00%	122	100.0%

Secretary of State

Democratic nomination

Candidate

• Eric Clark, incumbent

Reform nomination

Candidate

• Brenda Blackburn

Republican nomination

Candidate

• Julio Del Castillo

General election

Three-term incumbent Democrat Eric Clark won over Republican challenger Julio Del Castillo.

Results

Results for secretary of state's raceTemplate:Sfn
Party	Candidate	Popular votes	Pop. vote %	Electoral votes	Electoral vote %
Democrat	Eric Clark	610,461	71.02%	117	95.90%
Republican	Julio Del Castillo	201,765	23.47%	5	4.10%
Reform	Brenda Blackburn	47,296	5.50%	0	0.00%
Total		859,522	100.00%	122	100.0%

Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce

Democratic nomination

Candidate

• Lester Spell, incumbent

Republican primary

Candidates

• Roger D. Crowder
• Kyle Weston Magee
• Max Phillips
• Fred T. Smith

Results

Republican primary resultsTemplate:Sfn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Roger D. Crowder		41.7%
		Max Phillips		25.0%
		Kyle Weston Magee		16.8%
		Fred T. Smith		16.4%
Total votes				100.0

Runoff

Republican runoff resultsTemplate:Sfn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Max Phillips		50.3%
		Roger Crowder		49.7%
Total votes				100.0

General election

Democrat Lester Spell was re-elected to a third term over Republican Max Phillips.

Results

Results for Commissioner of Agriculture and Industry raceTemplate:Sfn
Party	Candidate	Popular votes	Pop. vote %	Electoral votes	Electoral vote %
Democrat	Lester Spell	564,283	66.11%	105	86.07%
Republican	Max Phillips	274,097	32.11%	17	13.93%
Reform	Bob Claunch	15,229	1.78%	0	0.00%
Total		853,609	100.00%	122	100.0%

Commissioner of Insurance

Democratic nomination

Candidate

• George Dale, incumbent

Reform nomination

Candidate

• Barbara Dale Washer

Republican nomination

Candidate

• Aaron DuPuy

General election

Democrat George Dale won an eighth term over Republican Aaron DuPuy.

Results

Results for Commissioner of Insurance raceTemplate:Sfn
Party	Candidate	Popular votes	Pop. vote %	Electoral votes	Electoral vote %
Democrat	George Dale	610,341	71.27%	114	93.44%
Republican	Aaron DuPuy	211,859	24.77%	8	6.56%
Reform	Barbara Dale Washer	32,969	3.86%	0	0.00%
Total			100.00%	122	100.0%

Public Service Commission

Northern district

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Bo Robinson, incumbent
• Benton White

Results

Democratic primary resultsTemplate:Sfn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Bo Robinson		79.6%
		Benton White		20.4%
Total votes				100.0

Reform nomination

Candidate

• Kerry Hunt

General election

Democrat Bo Robinson won over Reform Kerry Hunt.Template:Sfn

Results

Mississippi Public Service Commissioner, Northern District election, 2003Template:Sfn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Bo Robinson		83.9%
		Kerry Hunt		16.1%
Total votes				100.0
	hold

Central district

Democratic nomination

Candidate

• L.D. Horne Sr.

Reform nomination

Candidate

• Miek R. Ivey

Candidate

• Nielsen Cochran, incumbent

General election

Republican Nielsen Cochran won over Democrat L.D. Horne Sr. and Reform Miek R. Ivey.Template:Sfn

Results

Mississippi Public Service Commissioner, Central District election, 2003Template:Sfn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Nielsen Cochran		58.5%
		L.D. Horne, Sr.		39.4%
		Mike R. Ivey		2.2%
Total votes				100.0
	hold

Southern district

Democratic nomination

Candidate

• Michael Callahan, incumbent

Reform nomination

Candidate

• Anthony Sahuque

Candidate

• Larry Albritton

General election

Democrat Michael Callahan won over Republican Larry Albritton and Reform Anthony Sahuque.Template:Sfn

Results

Mississippi Public Service Commissioner, Southern District election, 2003Template:Sfn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Michael Callahan		51.3%
		Larry Albritton		47.0%
		Anthony Sahuque		1.7%
Total votes				100.0
	hold

Transportation Commission

Northern district

Democratic primary

Candidates

• A.T. Marlar Jr.
• William R. (Bill) Minor
• Thomas (Tod) Todd

Results

Democratic primary resultsTemplate:Sfn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		William R. Minor		54.3%
		Thomas Todd		33.6%
		A.T. Marlar, Jr.		12.1%
Total votes				100.0

Republican primary

Candidates

• John M. Caldwell Sr.
• Larry Lee

Results

Republican primary resultsTemplate:Sfn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		John M. Caldwell, Sr.		79.9%
		Larry Lee		20.1%
Total votes				100.0

General election

Democrat Bill R. Minor won over Republican John M. Caldwell Sr.Template:Sfn

Results

Mississippi Transportation Commissioner, Northern District election, 2003Template:Sfn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		William R. Minor		57.6%
		John M. Caldwell, Sr.		42.4%
Total votes				100.0
	hold

Central district

Democratic nomination

Candidate

• W.C. Alderman

Reform nomination

Candidate

• Jimmy Loper

Candidate

• Dick Hall, incumbent

General election

Republican Dick Hall won over Democrat W.C. Alderman and Reform Jimmy Loper.Template:Sfn

Results

Mississippi Transportation Commissioner, Central District election, 2003Template:Sfn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Dick Hall		54.3%
		W.C. Alderman		43.9%
		Jimmy Loper		1.8%
Total votes				100.0
	hold

Southern district

Democratic nomination

Candidate

• Wayne H. Brown

Reform nomination

Candidate

• Virgil C. Smith

Republican primary

Candidates

• Alana Abney
• Arlin Regan

Results

Republican primary resultsTemplate:Sfn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Arlin Regan		52.3%
		Alana Abney		47.7%
Total votes				100.0

General election

Democrat Wayne H. Brown won over Republican Arlin Regan and Reform Virgil C. Smith.Template:Sfn

Results

Mississippi Transportation Commissioner, Southern District election, 2003Template:Sfn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Wayne H. Brown		56.1%
		Arlin Regan		40.1%
		Virgil C. Smith		1.8%
Total votes				100.0
	hold