A general election was held in

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

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 A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

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.

Governor

Incumbent

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

Ronnie Musgrove David Ronald Musgrove (born July 29, 1956) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 62nd governor of Mississippi from 2000 to 2004. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, he previously served as the 29th lieutenant governor ...

faced Republican challenger

Haley Barbour Haley Reeves Barbour (born October 22, 1947) is an American attorney, politician, and lobbyist who served as the 63rd governor of Mississippi from 2004 to 2012. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he previously ser ...

as well as the Constitution Party's John Thomas Cripps, the

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as environmentalism and social justice. Green party platforms typically embrace Social democracy, social democratic economic policies and fo ...

'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.

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 The Supreme Court of Mississippi is the highest court in the state of Mississippi. It was established in 1818 per the terms of the first constitution of the state and was known as the High Court of Errors and Appeals from 1832 to 1869. The court ...

Results

Republican nomination

Candidate

Amy Tuck Amy Tuck (born July 8, 1963) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 30th Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi from 2000 to 2008. A member of the Republican Party, she was previously a member of the Mississippi State Senate. She ...

, incumbent

General election

, 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

Attorney general

Democratic nomination

Candidate

* Jim Hood, district attorney of Northern Mississippi

Republican nomination

Candidate

* Scott Newton, former

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

agent

General election

Mike Moore Michael Moore is an American filmmaker and author. Michael Moore may also refer to: Academia * Michael G. Moore (fl. 1970s–2020s), professor of education * Michael S. Moore (academic) (fl. 1960s–2020s), American law professor * Michael Mo ...

, a Democrat who had served four terms starting in 1988, declined to run for re-election. Moore's protégé

Jim Hood James Matthew Hood (born May 15, 1962) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 39th Attorney General of Mississippi from 2004 to 2020. Hood was first elected Attorney General in 2003, defeating Republican Scott Newton. A former ...

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

State Treasurer

Democratic primary

Candidates

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

Results

Runoff

Republican primary

Candidates

* Wayne Burkes * Andrew Ketchings *

Tate Reeves Jonathan Tate Reeves (born June 5, 1974) is an American politician serving as the 65th List of governors of Mississippi, governor of Mississippi since 2020. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Reeves served as the ...

, banker

Results

Runoff

General election

Four-term Democrat

Marshall Bennett Marshall Bennett ( – October 13, 2018) was an American real estate developer who is credited with developing the modern industrial park. Biography Bennett was born to a Jewish family in Chicago and raised in the South Shore neighborhood. He ...

resigned in early 2003 to join a

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

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

State Auditor

Reform nomination

Candidate

* Billy Blackburn

Republican nomination

Candidate

Phil Bryant Dewey Phillip Bryant (born December 9, 1954) is an American politician who served as the 64th governor of Mississippi from 2012 to 2020. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 31st lieutenant governor of Mississippi from 2008 to 2012 an ...

, incumbent

General election

Republican

, first appointed by Gov.

Kirk Fordice Daniel Kirkwood "Kirk" Fordice Jr. (; February 10, 1934 – September 7, 2004) was an American politician and businessman who served as the 61st governor of Mississippi from 1992 to 2000. A member of the Republican Party, he was the state's fir ...

in 1996 to fill an unexpired term and then won in 1999, won over Reform Party candidate Billy Blackburn.

Results

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

Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce

Democratic nomination

Candidate

Lester Spell Lester Spell (born December 24, 1942) is an American politician who served as the Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce from 1996 to 2012. References 1942 births Living people Mississippi commissioners of agricul ...

, incumbent

Republican primary

Candidates

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

Results

Runoff

General election

Democrat

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

Results

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

Public Service Commission

Northern district

Democratic primary

= Candidates

= * Bo Robinson, incumbent * Benton White

= Results

Reform nomination

= Candidate

= * Kerry Hunt

General election

Democrat Bo Robinson won over Reform Kerry Hunt.

= Results

Central district

Democratic nomination

= Candidate

= * L.D. Horne Sr.

Reform nomination

= Candidate

= * Miek R. Ivey

Republican nominiation

Candidate

* Nielsen Cochran, incumbent

General election

Republican

Nielsen Cochran Nielsen may refer to: Business * Nielsen Gallery, an American commercial art gallery * Nielsen Holdings, global information, data, and measurement company ** Nielsen Corporation, a marketing research firm ** Nielsen Audio, formerly Arbitron, whic ...

won over Democrat L.D. Horne Sr. and Reform Miek R. Ivey.

Results

Southern district

Democratic nomination

= Candidate

= * Michael Callahan, incumbent

Reform nomination

= Candidate

= * Anthony Sahuque

Republican nominiation

Candidate

* Larry Albritton

General election

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

= Results

Transportation Commission

Northern district

Democratic primary

= Candidates

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

= Results

Republican primary

= Candidates

= * John M. Caldwell Sr. * Larry Lee

= Results

General election

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

= Results

Central district

Democratic nomination

= Candidate

= * W.C. Alderman

Reform nomination

= Candidate

= * Jimmy Loper

Republican nominiation

Candidate

* Dick Hall, incumbent

General election

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

= Results

Southern district

Democratic nomination

= Candidate

= * Wayne H. Brown

Reform nomination

= Candidate

= * Virgil C. Smith

Republican primary

= Candidates

= * Alana Abney * Arlin Regan

= Results

General election

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

= Results

Notes

References

Works cited

* {{United States elections, 2003 Mississippi Legislature elections 2003 state legislature elections in the United States