1971 Mississippi gubernatorial election

none January 2025 September 2023 1971 Mississippi gubernatorial election presidential Mississippi no 1967 Mississippi gubernatorial election 1967 1975 Mississippi gubernatorial election 1975 November 2, 1971 Flag of Mississippi (1894-1996).svg File:Bill Waller.jpg 160x160px Bill Waller Democratic Party (United States) 601,222 77.02% File:Charles Evers, 1964.jpg Charles Evers Independent politician 172,762 22.13% 1971 Mississippi gubernatorial election results map by county.svg 170px County results Waller: #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70–80% #3933e5 80–90% #0d0596 >90%Evers: #d9d9d9 40–50% #bdbdbd 50–60% #969696 60–70% Governor John Bell Williams Democratic Party (United States) Bill Waller Democratic Party (United States) 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.http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2011/11/gov-elect_bryants_8_appointmen.html Gov.-elect Bryant's 8 appointments could impact college board 22 November 2011 2 July 2012 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.McFadden Robert D. 2020-07-22 Charles Evers, Businessman and Civil Rights Leader, Dies at 97 en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/22/us/charles-evers-dead.html 2022-02-13 0362-4331 To date, this is the most recent time that Rankin County voted Democratic in a gubernatorial election. Democratic primary Candidates Roy C. Adams, former state highway commissioner from TupeloTimes Roy Reed Special to The New York 1971-08-05 Mississippi Rebuffs Anti‐Negro Politics https://www.nytimes.com/1971/08/05/archives/mississippi-rebuffs-antinegro-politics.html 2025-05-27 The New York Times en-US 0362-4331 Marshall Perry, circuit court judge from Grenada Edwin L. Pittman, state senator from Hattiesburg Andrew W. Sullivan, Jackson oilman Charles L. Sullivan, Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi Jimmy Swan, country music singer from Hattiesburg and candidate for governor in 1967 Bill Waller, former Hinds County prosecutor and candidate for governor in 1967 Results thumb|center|170px|Primary results by county:Sullivan: #f8effe <30% #f2dffc 30–40% #dcb7ef 40–50% #c88fe4 50–60% #b368d9 60–70% #9d40cc 70–80%Waller: #ebf7ee <30% #d6efdc 30–40% #a3d5af 40–50%Swan: #f0e6be 30–40%Adams: #f1b4b2 40–50%Perry: #dee8fb 30–40% Mississippi Democratic Party primary, 1971 Charles L. Sullivan Democratic Party (United States) 288,219 37.78 William L. Waller Democratic Party (United States) 227,424 29.81 James E. "Jimmy" Swan Democratic Party (United States) 128,946 16.90 Roy C. Adams Democratic Party (United States) 45,445 5.96 Ed Pittman Democratic Party (United States) 38,170 5.00 Marshall Perry Democratic Party (United States) 18,021 2.36 Andrew W. Sullivan Democratic Party (United States) 16,762 2.20 Democratic primary runoff thumb|center|170px|Runoff results by county:Waller: #7bc7ae 50–60% #4ab390 60–70%Sullivan: #c88fe4 50–60% #b368d9 60–70% #9d40cc 70–80% #7c31a2 80–90% Mississippi Democratic Party primary runoff, August 24, 1971 William L. Waller Democratic Party (United States) 389,952 54.22 Charles L. Sullivan Democratic Party (United States) 329,236 45.78 Republican primary No Republican primary was held. General election Candidates Thomas Pickens Brady, Brookhaven judge (Independent) Charles Evers, mayor of Fayette (Independent) Bill Waller, former Hinds County prosecutor and candidate for governor in 1967 (Democratic) Campaign Evers' campaign was supported by civil rights leader Coretta Scott King, the Congressional Black Caucus, and Mayor of New York John Lindsay. According to The New 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.Reed Roy 1971-11-03 Evers Is Defeated In Large Turnout In Mississippi Vote en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1971/11/03/archives/evers-is-defeated-in-large-turnout-in-mississippi-vote-evers.html 2022-02-13 0362-4331 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.Powers Thomas Letter from a Lost Campaign Harper's Magazine March 1972 Results Mississippi gubernatorial election, 1971Sumners Cecil L. https://books.google.com/books?id=p8qBC3V-qgcC&q= The Governors of Mississippi 1998 Pelican Publishing 9781455605217 140 William L. Waller Democratic Party (United States) 601,222 77.02 Charles Evers Independent politician 172,762 22.13 Tom P. Brady Independent politician 6,653 0.85 thumb|Evers' performance by county Legend #c01028 60-70% #cd263d 50-60% #d83d52 40-50% #e25769 30-40% #ea7580 20-30% #f19299 10-20% #f7afb3 0-10% References Gubernatorial 1971 Mississippi Mississippi gubernatorial election