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 County results Congressional district resultsBryant: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Gray: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The2015 Mississippi gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 2015, to elect thegovernor of Mississippi. IncumbentRepublican governorPhil Bryant ran for re-election to a second and final term in office. This is the highest percentage that a Republican has ever won in a gubernatorial election in Mississippi.
The election gained national news coverage and attention due to the unexpected Democratic nominee selection of truck driver and former firefighter, Robert Gray, who had not had any political experience prior to his candidacy.[1]
As of 2023, this is by far the best performance by a Republican in a gubernatorial election in Mississippi. This is also the only time that the following counties have voted Republican for governor:Clay,Marshall,Quitman,Sharkey, andTallahatchie.
Mississippi is one of nine states and territories that has lifetime limits of two terms for its governor. In2011, with incumbent Republican governorHaley Barbour term-limited, RepublicanLieutenant GovernorPhil Bryant was elected to succeed him. Bryant won the Republican primary with 59% of the vote and then defeated the Democratic nominee,Hattiesburg MayorJohnny DuPree, with 61% of the vote.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Phil Bryant (incumbent) | 256,689 | 91.86% | |
| Republican | Mitch Young | 22,738 | 8.14% | |
| Total votes | 279,427 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Robert Gray | 152,087 | 50.80% | |
| Democratic | Vicki Slater | 91,104 | 30.43% | |
| Democratic | Valerie Short | 56,177 | 18.77% | |
| Total votes | 299,368 | 100.00% | ||
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[20] | Safe R | October 26, 2015 |
| Rothenberg Political Report[21] | Safe R | October 27, 2015 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[22] | Safe R | October 29, 2015 |
| DKE[23] | Safe R | October 29, 2015 |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Phil Bryant (R) | Robert Gray (D) | Shawn O'Hara (Ref) | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason-Dixon[24] | October 21–25, 2015 | 625 | ± 4% | 66% | 28% | 1% | 5% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Phil Bryant (R) | Jim Hood (D) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[25] | July 10–13, 2014 | 691 | ± 3.7% | 44% | 33% | — | 22% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Phil Bryant (R) | Brandon Presley (D) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[25] | July 10–13, 2014 | 691 | ± 3.7% | 49% | 26% | — | 25% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Phil Bryant (R) | Valerie Short (D) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason-Dixon[26] | April 21–23, 2015 | 625 | ± 4% | 63% | 28% | 3%[27] | 6% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Phil Bryant (R) | Vicki Slater (D) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason-Dixon[28] | April 21–23, 2015 | 625 | ± 4% | 61% | 30% | 2%[27] | 7% |
| Candidate | Party | Popular vote | Electoral vote | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | |||
| Phil Bryant(incumbent) | Republican Party | 480,399 | 66.24 | 85 | 69.67 | |
| Robert Gray | Democratic Party | 234,858 | 32.38 | 37 | 30.33 | |
| Shawn O'Hara | Reform Party | 9,950 | 1.37 | |||
| Total | 725,207 | 100.00 | 122 | 100.00 | ||
| Source:Mississippi Secretary of State | ||||||
| County[29] | Phil Bryant Republican | Robert Gray Democratic | Shawn O'Hara Reform | Margin | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 3,767 | 51.06% | 3,539 | 47.97% | 71 | 0.96% | 228 | 3.09% | 7,377 |
| Alcorn | 8,817 | 83.34% | 1,649 | 15.59% | 113 | 1.07% | 7,168 | 67.76% | 10,579 |
| Amite | 3,176 | 61.96% | 1,874 | 36.56% | 76 | 1.48% | 1,302 | 25.40% | 5,126 |
| Attala | 3,449 | 67.96% | 1,577 | 31.07% | 49 | 0.97% | 1,872 | 36.89% | 5,075 |
| Benton | 1,753 | 63.40% | 958 | 34.65% | 54 | 1.95% | 795 | 28.75% | 2,765 |
| Bolivar | 4,255 | 45.30% | 5,040 | 53.66% | 98 | 1.04% | -785 | -8.36% | 9,393 |
| Calhoun | 3,957 | 76.81% | 1,144 | 22.20% | 51 | 0.99% | 2,813 | 54.60% | 5,152 |
| Carroll | 2,934 | 72.25% | 1,096 | 26.99% | 31 | 0.76% | 1,838 | 45.26% | 4,061 |
| Chickasaw | 3,545 | 61.76% | 2,141 | 37.30% | 54 | 0.94% | 1,404 | 24.46% | 5,740 |
| Choctaw | 2,215 | 78.66% | 570 | 20.24% | 31 | 1.10% | 1,645 | 58.42% | 2,816 |
| Claiborne | 1,158 | 33.24% | 2,250 | 64.58% | 76 | 2.18% | -1,092 | -31.34% | 3,484 |
| Clarke | 4,253 | 71.72% | 1,595 | 26.90% | 82 | 1.38% | 2,658 | 44.82% | 5,930 |
| Clay | 3,601 | 49.85% | 3,547 | 49.10% | 76 | 1.05% | 54 | 0.75% | 7,224 |
| Coahoma | 1,867 | 46.58% | 2,095 | 52.27% | 46 | 1.15% | -228 | -5.69% | 4,008 |
| Copiah | 4,088 | 55.66% | 3,162 | 43.06% | 94 | 1.28% | 926 | 12.61% | 7,344 |
| Covington | 4,471 | 70.02% | 1,838 | 28.79% | 76 | 1.19% | 2,633 | 41.24% | 6,385 |
| DeSoto | 16,837 | 79.87% | 3,904 | 18.52% | 339 | 1.61% | 12,933 | 61.35% | 21,080 |
| Forrest | 11,998 | 69.61% | 4,968 | 28.82% | 270 | 1.57% | 7,030 | 40.79% | 17,236 |
| Franklin | 2,053 | 66.46% | 996 | 32.24% | 40 | 1.29% | 1,057 | 34.22% | 3,089 |
| George | 5,348 | 87.51% | 634 | 10.37% | 129 | 2.11% | 4,714 | 77.14% | 6,111 |
| Greene | 3,097 | 79.78% | 697 | 17.95% | 88 | 2.27% | 2,400 | 61.82% | 3,882 |
| Grenada | 4,462 | 65.11% | 2,324 | 33.91% | 67 | 0.98% | 2,138 | 31.20% | 6,853 |
| Hancock | 6,675 | 78.64% | 1,634 | 19.25% | 179 | 2.11% | 5,041 | 59.39% | 8,488 |
| Harrison | 21,548 | 69.52% | 8,709 | 28.10% | 739 | 2.38% | 12,839 | 41.42% | 30,996 |
| Hinds | 22,403 | 39.33% | 33,548 | 58.89% | 1,012 | 1.78% | -11,145 | -19.57% | 56,963 |
| Holmes | 1,610 | 32.45% | 3,272 | 65.95% | 79 | 1.59% | -1,662 | -33.50% | 4,961 |
| Humphreys | 1,133 | 42.71% | 1,490 | 56.16% | 30 | 1.13% | -357 | -13.46% | 2,653 |
| Issaquena | 346 | 61.35% | 211 | 37.41% | 7 | 1.24% | 135 | 23.94% | 564 |
| Itawamba | 6,053 | 86.81% | 840 | 12.05% | 80 | 1.15% | 5,213 | 74.76% | 6,973 |
| Jackson | 18,323 | 73.83% | 6,000 | 24.18% | 494 | 1.99% | 12,323 | 49.66% | 24,817 |
| Jasper | 3,644 | 56.86% | 2,654 | 41.41% | 111 | 1.73% | 990 | 15.45% | 6,409 |
| Jefferson | 713 | 26.10% | 1,971 | 72.14% | 48 | 1.76% | -1,258 | -46.05% | 2,732 |
| Jefferson Davis | 2,009 | 49.24% | 2,032 | 49.80% | 39 | 0.96% | -23 | -0.56% | 4,080 |
| Jones | 13,960 | 79.49% | 3,356 | 19.11% | 247 | 1.41% | 10,604 | 60.38% | 17,563 |
| Kemper | 1,952 | 51.30% | 1,814 | 47.67% | 39 | 1.02% | 138 | 3.63% | 3,805 |
| Lafayette | 6,881 | 62.76% | 3,898 | 35.55% | 185 | 1.69% | 2,983 | 27.21% | 10,964 |
| Lamar | 11,555 | 84.63% | 1,941 | 14.22% | 158 | 1.16% | 9,614 | 70.41% | 13,654 |
| Lauderdale | 12,130 | 71.38% | 4,686 | 27.58% | 177 | 1.04% | 7,444 | 43.81% | 16,993 |
| Lawrence | 3,446 | 69.34% | 1,475 | 29.68% | 49 | 0.99% | 1,971 | 39.66% | 4,970 |
| Leake | 3,885 | 64.51% | 2,090 | 34.71% | 47 | 0.78% | 1,795 | 29.81% | 6,022 |
| Lee | 14,402 | 74.66% | 4,665 | 24.18% | 224 | 1.16% | 9,737 | 50.47% | 19,291 |
| Leflore | 3,177 | 44.61% | 3,868 | 54.31% | 77 | 1.08% | -691 | -9.70% | 7,122 |
| Lincoln | 7,984 | 76.58% | 2,362 | 22.65% | 80 | 0.77% | 5,622 | 53.92% | 10,426 |
| Lowndes | 10,287 | 58.53% | 7,137 | 40.61% | 151 | 0.86% | 3,150 | 17.92% | 17,575 |
| Madison | 18,937 | 69.41% | 8,002 | 29.33% | 345 | 1.26% | 10,935 | 40.08% | 27,284 |
| Marion | 5,674 | 75.56% | 1,762 | 23.47% | 73 | 0.97% | 3,912 | 52.10% | 7,509 |
| Marshall | 3,412 | 51.81% | 3,105 | 47.15% | 68 | 1.03% | 307 | 4.66% | 6,585 |
| Monroe | 7,682 | 71.57% | 2,951 | 27.49% | 101 | 0.94% | 4,731 | 44.07% | 10,734 |
| Montgomery | 2,497 | 63.76% | 1,385 | 35.37% | 34 | 0.87% | 1,112 | 28.40% | 3,916 |
| Neshoba | 5,968 | 81.53% | 1,291 | 17.64% | 61 | 0.83% | 4,677 | 63.89% | 7,320 |
| Newton | 5,175 | 75.75% | 1,584 | 23.19% | 73 | 1.07% | 3,591 | 52.56% | 6,832 |
| Noxubee | 1,217 | 35.21% | 2,190 | 63.37% | 49 | 1.42% | -973 | -28.15% | 3,456 |
| Oktibbeha | 6,773 | 60.23% | 4,349 | 38.67% | 123 | 1.09% | 2,424 | 21.56% | 11,245 |
| Panola | 6,868 | 60.64% | 4,344 | 38.36% | 113 | 1.00% | 2,524 | 22.29% | 11,325 |
| Pearl River | 7,501 | 81.58% | 1,501 | 16.32% | 193 | 2.10% | 6,000 | 65.25% | 9,195 |
| Perry | 3,282 | 81.14% | 688 | 17.01% | 75 | 1.85% | 2,594 | 64.13% | 4,045 |
| Pike | 6,682 | 55.89% | 5,126 | 42.88% | 147 | 1.23% | 1,556 | 13.02% | 11,955 |
| Pontotoc | 7,008 | 83.33% | 1,315 | 15.64% | 87 | 1.03% | 5,693 | 67.69% | 8,410 |
| Prentiss | 5,155 | 79.66% | 1,258 | 19.44% | 58 | 0.90% | 3,897 | 60.22% | 6,471 |
| Quitman | 1,449 | 50.56% | 1,359 | 47.42% | 58 | 2.02% | 90 | 3.14% | 2,866 |
| Rankin | 27,584 | 81.56% | 5,811 | 17.18% | 427 | 1.26% | 21,773 | 64.38% | 33,822 |
| Scott | 4,688 | 65.82% | 2,365 | 33.21% | 69 | 0.97% | 2,323 | 32.62% | 7,122 |
| Sharkey | 840 | 50.09% | 816 | 48.66% | 21 | 1.25% | 24 | 1.43% | 1,677 |
| Simpson | 5,656 | 72.33% | 2,077 | 26.56% | 87 | 1.11% | 3,579 | 45.77% | 7,820 |
| Smith | 4,680 | 81.24% | 1,003 | 17.41% | 78 | 1.35% | 3,677 | 63.83% | 5,761 |
| Stone | 4,093 | 77.92% | 1,058 | 20.14% | 102 | 1.94% | 3,035 | 57.78% | 5,253 |
| Sunflower | 2,771 | 48.06% | 2,903 | 50.35% | 92 | 1.60% | -132 | -2.29% | 5,766 |
| Tallahatchie | 2,114 | 58.25% | 1,459 | 40.20% | 56 | 1.54% | 655 | 18.05% | 3,629 |
| Tate | 4,486 | 73.59% | 1,527 | 25.05% | 83 | 1.36% | 2,959 | 48.54% | 6,096 |
| Tippah | 5,329 | 81.87% | 1,109 | 17.04% | 71 | 1.09% | 4,220 | 64.83% | 6,509 |
| Tishomingo | 5,437 | 80.92% | 1,163 | 17.31% | 119 | 1.77% | 4,274 | 63.61% | 6,719 |
| Tunica | 1,201 | 47.21% | 1,281 | 50.35% | 62 | 2.44% | -80 | -3.14% | 2,544 |
| Union | 6,548 | 85.59% | 1,027 | 13.42% | 75 | 0.98% | 5,521 | 72.17% | 7,650 |
| Walthall | 3,312 | 68.18% | 1,470 | 30.26% | 76 | 1.56% | 1,842 | 37.92% | 4,858 |
| Warren | 7,641 | 63.79% | 4,196 | 35.03% | 141 | 1.18% | 3,445 | 28.76% | 11,978 |
| Washington | 4,386 | 45.46% | 5,153 | 53.41% | 109 | 1.13% | -767 | -7.95% | 9,648 |
| Wayne | 4,377 | 68.33% | 1,929 | 30.11% | 100 | 1.56% | 2,448 | 38.21% | 6,406 |
| Webster | 2,898 | 82.63% | 582 | 16.60% | 27 | 0.77% | 2,316 | 66.04% | 3,507 |
| Wilkinson | 1,311 | 35.92% | 2,255 | 61.78% | 84 | 2.30% | -944 | -25.86% | 3,650 |
| Winston | 4,140 | 65.14% | 2,178 | 34.27% | 38 | 0.60% | 1,962 | 30.87% | 6,356 |
| Yalobusha | 2,433 | 63.66% | 1,341 | 35.09% | 48 | 1.26% | 1,092 | 28.57% | 3,822 |
| Yazoo | 3,977 | 59.05% | 2,694 | 40.00% | 64 | 0.95% | 1,283 | 19.05% | 6,735 |
| Totals | 480,399 | 66.24% | 234,858 | 32.38% | 9,950 | 1.37% | 245,541 | 33.86% | 725,207 |
Bryant won three of four congressional districts.[30]
| District | Bryant | Gray | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 73% | 26% | Trent Kelly |
| 2nd | 49% | 50% | Bennie Thompson |
| 3rd | 69% | 30% | Gregg Harper |
| 4th | 76% | 23% | Steven Palazzo |
Campaign websites (archived)
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