Mississippi Politics

The Struggle for Power, 1976–2026, Third Edition

Jere Nash, Andy Taggart

• Publisher: University Press of Mississippi
• Year: 2026
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• eBook ISBN:
  9781496864529
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: Politics & International Relations

Called "a must-read for any serious student of Mississippi politics" by The Clarion-Ledger, Mississippi Politics quickly became the definitive work on the state's recent political history, campaigns, legislative battles, and litigation, as well as the ways Mississippi both shaped and was shaped by national and regional trends.

First published in 2006, this thoroughly revised third edition expands and updates the narrative from the 2008 presidential election through the mid-2020s. Authors Jere Nash and Andy Taggart add three new chapters and substantially revise every existing chapter, providing fresh analyses of statewide, legislative, and federal elections; leadership changes in both parties; and the shifting dynamics that continue to define Mississippi's place in American politics.

New coverage includes the Cochran-McDaniel Senate race; Cindy Hyde-Smith's path to the US Senate; the Republican takeover of the legislature; and the campaigns of Mike Espy, Jim Hood, and Brandon Presley. It also examines such behind-the-scenes developments as the legalization of casino gaming, the state's recovery from Hurricane Katrina, the building of the civil rights museum, the changing of the state flag, and Mississippi's central role in the abortion debate that culminated in the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Drawing on more than 150 interviews conducted by the authors and a greatly expanded body of sources, this edition offers a comprehensive and up-to-date account of the people, events, and forces that have driven Mississippi politics over the past half-century.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Foreword
• Preface
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Mississippi Democrats and Their History, 1948–1975
• Chapter 2: Mississippi Republicans and Their History, 1955–1975
• Chapter 3: The Beginning of the End, 1976
• Chapter 4: The Campaign to Succeed Jim Eastland, 1977–1978
• Chapter 5: William Winter and Charles Pickering, 1979
• Chapter 6: The Origins of Reapportionment, 1890‒1979
• Chapter 7: Ronald Reagan and Jon Hinson, 1980–1981
• Chapter 8: Education Transforms the Legislature, 1982
• Chapter 9: The Bizarre Campaign for Governor, 1983
• Chapter 10: The Erosion of Legislative Power, 1984
• Chapter 11: The Rise of Mike Espy, 1985–1986
• Chapter 12: Highways, Buddie Newman, and Ray Mabus, 1987
• Chapter 13: The Campaign to Succeed John Stennis, 1988
• Chapter 14: Liquor and Gambling in Mississippi, 1989–1990
• Chapter 15: Republicans Gain the Governor’s Mansion, 1991
• Chapter 16: The Politics of Reapportionment, 1992–1993
• Chapter 17: The Gop Begins to Consolidate its Power, 1994–1996
• Chapter 18: Tobacco, 1997–1998
• Chapter 19: The Legacy of Kirk Fordice and Beyond, 1999–2001
• Chapter 20: The Consequences of Tort Reform, 2002
• Chapter 21: The Haley Barbour Years, 2003–2011
• Chapter 22: Republicans Gain All the Power, 2008–2026
• Chapter 23: The Politics of Abortion, 1991–2022
• Chapter 24: Mississippi Changes Its Image, 2000–2022
• Conclusion
• Epilogue
• Acknowledgments
• Notes
• Sources
• Index
• About the Authors