1991 Mississippi gubernatorial election
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 County Results Fordice: 40-50% 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% Mabus: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Mississippi |
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The 1991 Mississippi gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 1991, in order to elect the Governor of Mississippi. Incumbent Democrat Ray Mabus unsuccessfully ran for reelection to a second term. This election marked the first time a Republican was elected Governor of Mississippi since Adelbert Ames in 1873.
Democratic primary
Incumbent Democrat Ray Mabus won the Democratic primary, defeating former U.S. Representative Wayne Dowdy and George "Wagon Wheel" Blair.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ray Mabus (incumbent) | 368,679 | 50.75 | |
| Democratic | Wayne Dowdy | 299,172 | 41.18 | |
| Democratic | George "Wagon Wheel" Blair | 58,614 | 8.07 | |
| Total votes | 726,465 | 100.00 | ||
Republican primary
No candidate received a majority in the Republican primary, so a runoff was held between the top two candidates. The runoff election was won by businessman Kirk Fordice, who defeated State Auditor Pete Johnson.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Kirk Fordice | 28,411 | 44.64 | |
| Republican | Pete Johnson | 27,651 | 43.44 | |
| Republican | Bobby Clanton | 7,589 | 11.92 | |
| Total votes | 63,651 | 100.00 | ||
Runoff
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Kirk Fordice | 31,753 | 60.63 | |
| Republican | Pete Johnson | 20,622 | 39.37 | |
| Total votes | 52,375 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Campaign
Fordice portrayed Mabus as "arrogant and out of touch with Mississippi politically", with a New York Times article describing him as a "Porsche politician in a Chevy pickup state".[4]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Kirk Fordice | 361,500 | 50.83% | |
| Democratic | Ray Mabus (incumbent) | 338,459 | 47.59% | |
| Independent | Shawn O'Hara | 11,253 | 1.58% | |
| Total votes | 711,212 | 100.00 | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
References
- ^ "MS Governor D Primary 1991". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
- ^ "MS Governor R Primary 1991". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
- ^ "MS Governor R Primary Runoff 1991". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
- ^ Applebome, Peter (16 September 1991). "Mississippi Governor's Record at Issue". New York Times.
- ^ "MS Governor 1991". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
- ^ "1991 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Mississippi". David Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
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