Third party and independent tickets gave Mississippians a non-Democratic choice other than the Republicans. In 1948, the state voted 87.2% for the States Rights ticket, which featured our governor as Gov. Strom Thurmond’s running mate. In 1960, a slate of unpledged electors carried the Magnolia State with 39%; our electors wound up voting for Sen. Harry Byrd Sr. of Virginia, rather than either John Kennedy or Richard Nixon.

In 1964, as you noted, the Republican Barry Goldwater carried Mississippi with 87.1%. In 1968, the independent George Wallace of Alabama won the state, with the Democrat Hubert Humphrey coming in second and the Republican Richard Nixon running third with 13.5%.

Nixon won the state in 1972 with 76.1%, and except for the Democrat Carter’s narrow win in 1976, the Republicans have carried this state in every presidential election since.

It’s worth noting that Rep. Thad Cochran was elected U. S. senator in 1978 with 45%. Running as an independent, Charles Evers got 22.9%, almost all of which would have otherwise gone to the Democrat Maurice Dantin, who got 31.8% (another black independent, Henry Kirksey, got 0.3%).

It should also be noted that the black vote, which routinely goes 90%-plus Democratic, is a major reason why more candidates don’t run as Republicans. A candidate in a jurisdiction with a sizable black population knows he would be kissing off a big chunk of the vote if he ran as a Republican.

BTW: Prentiss Walker, a Mize chicken farmer, was elected to the U. S. House in 1964 on Goldwater’s coattails, defeating a 22-year incumbent Democrat. Walker foolishly gave up his House seat in 1966 to run against Sen. Jim Eastland.

Look out, there is more to come! Not to mention, Travis Childers could be a one termer in the 1st Congressional District!