Colonel William A. Phillips

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The 2004 United States presidential election in Mississippi took place on November 2, 2004 as part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose six representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president. It was the first presidential election since the 2000 United States census, after which Mississippi lost one electoral vote, reducing its elector count from seven to six, leaving Mississippi with the fewest electoral votes since 1848.[1]

Mississippi was won by incumbent President George W. Bush of the Republican Party with a 19.69% margin of victory over Democratic nominee John Kerry. Prior to the election, Mississippi was considered a state Bush would win with ease, or a red state. Mississippi has not voted for a Democrat since 1976, when Jimmy Carter carried the state. As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Pike County, Copiah County, Oktibbeha County, and Yazoo County voted for the Republican candidate, as well as the last time in which the Democratic nominee has won less than 40% of the state's vote.

Campaign

Predictions

12 news organizations made state-by-state predictions of the election. These organizations published their predictions just prior to election day:[2]

Source Ranking
D.C. Political Report Solid R
Associated Press Solid R
CNN Likely R
Cook Political Report Solid R
Newsweek Solid R
New York Times Solid R
Rasmussen Reports Likely R
Research 2000 Solid R
Washington Post Likely R
Washington Times Solid R
Zogby International Likely R
Washington Dispatch Likely R

Polling

Bush won pre-election polling by a double-digit margin.[3]

Fundraising

Bush raised $866,580.[4] Kerry raised $599,665.[5]

Advertising and visits

Neither campaign spent or visited this state during the fall campaign.[6]

Analysis

The last Democratic presidential nominee to win Mississippi was fellow Southerner Jimmy Carter in 1976. Due to its reliably conservative voting pattern, neither of the two major party candidates campaigned in the state.

Mississippi is one of the most racially polarized states in presidential elections. Black Mississippians almost uniformly vote Democratic, while white Mississippians vote Republican nearly as consistently. In 2004, 14% of white Mississippians voted for John Kerry and 10% of African Americans voted for Bush.[7] Kerry's main support lay in the western counties on the Delta and next to the Mississippi River.

Results

2004 United States presidential election in Mississippi[8]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican Party George W. Bush (incumbent) 684,981 59.44% 6
Democratic Party John Kerry 458,094 39.75% 0
Reform Party Ralph Nader 3,177 0.28% 0
Libertarian Party Michael Badnarik 1,793 0.16% 0
Constitution Party Michael Peroutka 1,759 0.15% 0
Independent Roger Calero 1,272 0.11% 0
Green Party David Cobb 1,073 0.09% 0
Various parties Write Ins 216 0.02% 0
Totals - 100.00% 6
Voter turnout (Voting Age population) 54.4%

Results by county

County[9] George W. Bush
Republican
John Kerry
Democratic
Ralph Nader
Reform
Michael Badarnik
Libertarian
Michael Peroutka
Constitution
Roger Calero
Independent
Various candidates
Other parties
Margin Total
# % # % # % # % # % # % # % # %
Adams 6,996 45.20% 8,423 54.42% 27 0.17% 14 0.09% 3 0.02% 3 0.02% 13 0.09% -1,427 -9.22% 15,479
Alcorn 8,634 60.64% 5,454 38.30% 69 0.48% 43 0.30% 20 0.14% 4 0.03% 15 0.11% 3,180 22.34% 14,239
Amite 4,147 57.62% 3,012 41.85% 15 0.21% 6 0.08% 5 0.07% 9 0.13% 3 0.04% 1,135 15.77% 7,197
Attala 5,014 61.09% 3,145 38.32% 14 0.17% 4 0.05% 11 0.13% 11 0.13% 8 0.10% 1,869 22.77% 8,207
Benton 1,969 46.36% 2,245 52.86% 12 0.28% 6 0.14% 5 0.12% 2 0.05% 8 0.19% -276 -6.50% 4,247
Bolivar 5,535 36.16% 9,631 62.92% 32 0.21% 12 0.08% 66 0.43% 16 0.10% 15 0.10% -4,096 -26.76% 15,307
Calhoun 4,131 64.63% 2,234 34.95% 13 0.20% 2 0.03% 3 0.05% 5 0.08% 4 0.07% 1,897 29.68% 6,392
Carroll 3,664 65.52% 1,900 33.98% 4 0.07% 15 0.27% 1 0.02% 1 0.02% 7 0.13% 1,764 31.54% 5,592
Chickasaw 4,193 50.22% 4,078 48.84% 27 0.32% 15 0.18% 14 0.17% 9 0.11% 14 0.16% 115 1.38% 8,350
Choctaw 2,694 66.00% 1,366 33.46% 7 0.17% 6 0.15% 4 0.10% 2 0.05% 3 0.07% 1,328 32.54% 4,082
Claiborne 950 17.74% 4,362 81.46% 8 0.15% 13 0.24% 4 0.07% 15 0.28% 3 0.06% -3,412 -63.72% 5,355
Clarke 5,068 67.51% 2,402 32.00% 18 0.24% 6 0.08% 4 0.05% 3 0.04% 6 0.08% 2,666 35.51% 7,507
Clay 4,342 47.50% 4,753 52.00% 12 0.13% 9 0.10% 10 0.11% 9 0.10% 6 0.06% -411 -4.50% 9,141
Coahoma 3,676 34.65% 6,805 64.15% 12 0.11% 78 0.74% 13 0.12% 14 0.13% 10 0.09% -3,129 -29.50% 10,608
Copiah 6,374 55.95% 4,961 43.54% 18 0.16% 13 0.11% 13 0.11% 7 0.06% 7 0.06% 1,413 12.41% 11,393
Covington 5,044 61.12% 3,158 38.27% 22 0.27% 8 0.10% 7 0.08% 8 0.10% 5 0.06% 1,886 22.85% 8,252
DeSoto 36,306 72.30% 13,583 27.05% 132 0.26% 88 0.18% 56 0.11% 20 0.04% 30 0.06% 22,723 45.25% 50,215
Forrest 16,318 61.01% 10,220 38.21% 108 0.40% 33 0.12% 22 0.08% 22 0.08% 22 0.08% 6,098 22.80% 26,745
Franklin 2,893 64.42% 1,574 35.05% 9 0.20% 3 0.07% 4 0.09% 6 0.13% 2 0.04% 1,319 29.37% 4,491
George 6,223 77.78% 1,724 21.55% 19 0.24% 8 0.10% 12 0.15% 11 0.14% 4 0.05% 4,499 56.23% 8,001
Greene 3,850 72.66% 1,421 26.82% 16 0.30% 4 0.08% 4 0.08% 3 0.06% 1 0.02% 2,429 45.84% 5,299
Grenada 5,872 58.08% 4,180 41.34% 16 0.16% 12 0.12% 2 0.02% 9 0.09% 20 0.20% 1,692 16.74% 10,111
Hancock 12,581 70.41% 5,107 28.58% 100 0.56% 35 0.20% 14 0.08% 21 0.12% 11 0.06% 7,474 41.83% 17,869
Harrison 39,703 62.73% 23,076 36.46% 240 0.38% 104 0.16% 64 0.10% 42 0.07% 59 0.09% 16,627 26.27% 63,288
Hinds 36,975 39.97% 54,845 59.29% 226 0.24% 126 0.14% 158 0.17% 84 0.09% 86 0.09% -17,870 -19.32% 92,500
Holmes 1,961 23.39% 6,366 75.94% 9 0.11% 4 0.05% 6 0.07% 22 0.26% 12 0.14% -4,405 -52.55% 8,383
Humphreys 1,679 34.27% 3,168 64.65% 13 0.27% 15 0.31% 2 0.04% 13 0.27% 10 0.20% -1,489 -30.38% 4,900
Issaquena 439 45.26% 516 53.20% 1 0.10% 5 0.52% 4 0.41% 2 0.21% 3 0.31% -77 -7.94% 970
Itawamba 6,833 70.34% 2,802 28.84% 36 0.37% 7 0.07% 13 0.13% 14 0.14% 9 0.09% 4,031 41.50% 9,714
Jackson 35,134 68.79% 15,572 30.49% 180 0.35% 56 0.11% 45 0.09% 34 0.07% 54 0.10% 19,562 38.30% 51,075
Jasper 3,855 48.13% 4,117 51.40% 16 0.20% 9 0.11% 1 0.01% 5 0.06% 6 0.07% -262 -3.27% 8,009
Jefferson 630 18.16% 2,821 81.32% 2 0.06% 4 0.12% 3 0.09% 0 0.00% 9 0.26% -2,191 -63.16% 3,469
Jefferson Davis 2,668 46.28% 2,959 51.33% 24 0.42% 15 0.26% 10 0.17% 53 0.92% 36 0.62% -291 -5.05% 5,765
Jones 19,125 71.72% 7,398 27.74% 68 0.26% 8 0.03% 46 0.17% 13 0.05% 8 0.03% 11,727 43.98% 26,666
Kemper 2,109 45.82% 2,465 53.55% 10 0.22% 7 0.15% 6 0.13% 4 0.09% 2 0.04% -356 -7.73% 4,603
Lafayette 9,004 58.46% 6,218 40.37% 76 0.49% 50 0.32% 15 0.10% 6 0.04% 32 0.20% 2,786 18.09% 15,401
Lamar 16,410 80.19% 3,923 19.17% 59 0.29% 28 0.14% 22 0.11% 15 0.07% 8 0.04% 12,487 61.02% 20,465
Lauderdale 19,736 65.42% 10,292 34.11% 61 0.20% 28 0.09% 12 0.04% 25 0.08% 16 0.05% 9,444 31.31% 30,170
Lawrence 3,956 62.73% 2,308 36.60% 20 0.32% 8 0.13% 5 0.08% 5 0.08% 4 0.06% 1,648 26.13% 6,306
Leake 4,962 60.41% 3,212 39.10% 16 0.19% 7 0.09% 5 0.06% 5 0.06% 7 0.09% 1,750 21.31% 8,214
Lee 20,254 66.11% 10,127 33.05% 108 0.35% 42 0.14% 54 0.18% 22 0.07% 32 0.11% 10,127 33.06% 30,639
Leflore 4,635 37.19% 7,566 60.71% 35 0.28% 26 0.21% 143 1.15% 25 0.20% 33 0.26% -2,931 -23.52% 12,463
Lincoln 10,008 69.04% 4,418 30.48% 28 0.19% 13 0.09% 12 0.08% 10 0.07% 7 0.04% 5,590 38.56% 14,496
Lowndes 13,690 56.41% 10,408 42.88% 68 0.28% 36 0.15% 26 0.11% 20 0.08% 22 0.09% 3,282 13.53% 24,270
Madison 24,257 64.29% 13,268 35.17% 77 0.20% 48 0.13% 41 0.11% 21 0.06% 16 0.04% 10,989 29.12% 37,728
Marion 7,999 66.95% 3,888 32.54% 26 0.22% 9 0.08% 4 0.03% 13 0.11% 8 0.07% 4,111 34.41% 11,947
Marshall 5,975 40.79% 8,591 58.65% 24 0.16% 19 0.13% 15 0.10% 12 0.08% 13 0.09% -2,616 -17.86% 14,649
Monroe 9,308 59.54% 6,237 39.90% 44 0.28% 15 0.10% 15 0.10% 9 0.06% 4 0.03% 3,071 19.64% 15,632
Montgomery 3,002 54.61% 2,473 44.99% 9 0.16% 3 0.05% 3 0.05% 6 0.11% 1 0.02% 529 9.62% 5,497
Neshoba 7,780 74.67% 2,600 24.95% 15 0.14% 8 0.08% 2 0.02% 8 0.08% 6 0.06% 5,180 49.72% 10,419
Newton 6,165 72.63% 2,280 26.86% 11 0.13% 5 0.06% 11 0.13% 6 0.07% 10 0.12% 3,885 45.77% 8,488
Noxubee 1,723 28.26% 4,346 71.28% 5 0.08% 7 0.11% 10 0.16% 3 0.05% 3 0.05% -2,623 -43.02% 6,097
Oktibbeha 9,068 55.67% 7,015 43.06% 83 0.51% 37 0.23% 49 0.30% 14 0.09% 24 0.15% 2,053 12.61% 16,290
Panola 6,769 50.36% 6,615 49.22% 21 0.16% 16 0.12% 3 0.02% 11 0.08% 5 0.04% 154 1.14% 13,440
Pearl River 14,896 76.44% 4,472 22.95% 60 0.31% 23 0.12% 15 0.08% 13 0.07% 8 0.04% 10,424 53.49% 19,487
Perry 3,747 74.49% 1,261 25.07% 5 0.10% 5 0.10% 5 0.10% 3 0.06% 4 0.08% 2,486 49.42% 5,030
Pike 8,660 52.07% 7,881 46.38% 41 0.25% 19 0.11% 8 0.05% 14 0.08% 9 0.05% 779 4.69% 16,632
Pontotoc 8,480 75.44% 2,660 23.67% 55 0.49% 16 0.14% 10 0.09% 17 0.15% 2 0.02% 5,820 51.77% 11,240
Prentiss 6,538 65.83% 3,327 33.50% 38 0.38% 3 0.03% 6 0.06% 15 0.15% 5 0.05% 3,211 32.33% 9,932
Quitman 1,360 39.79% 2,032 59.45% 3 0.09% 7 0.20% 3 0.09% 5 0.15% 8 0.24% -672 -19.66% 3,418
Rankin 43,054 78.67% 11,005 20.11% 178 0.33% 95 0.17% 238 0.43% 80 0.15% 76 0.14% 32,049 58.56% 54,726
Scott 6,395 62.52% 3,802 37.17% 9 0.09% 7 0.07% 7 0.07% 3 0.03% 5 0.05% 2,593 25.35% 10,228
Sharkey 1,120 36.21% 1,560 50.44% 52 1.68% 74 2.39% 48 1.55% 94 3.04% 145 4.69% -440 -14.23% 3,093
Simpson 7,138 68.15% 3,272 31.24% 8 0.08% 17 0.16% 28 0.27% 7 0.07% 4 0.04% 3,866 36.91% 10,474
Smith 5,577 78.33% 1,496 21.01% 13 0.18% 6 0.08% 16 0.22% 11 0.15% 1 0.01% 4,081 57.32% 7,120
Stone 4,146 72.29% 1,528 26.64% 20 0.35% 15 0.26% 14 0.24% 8 0.14% 4 0.07% 2,618 45.65% 5,735
Sunflower 3,534 35.29% 6,359 63.49% 18 0.18% 53 0.53% 6 0.06% 31 0.31% 14 0.14% -2,825 -28.20% 10,015
Tallahatchie 2,737 44.02% 3,420 55.01% 11 0.18% 24 0.39% 4 0.06% 10 0.16% 11 0.18% -683 -10.99% 6,217
Tate 6,760 60.54% 4,347 38.93% 31 0.28% 6 0.05% 15 0.13% 5 0.04% 3 0.03% 2,413 21.61% 11,167
Tippah 6,174 66.57% 3,016 32.52% 34 0.37% 15 0.16% 12 0.13% 19 0.20% 5 0.05% 3,158 34.05% 9,275
Tishomingo 5,379 64.51% 2,846 34.13% 56 0.67% 16 0.19% 4 0.05% 16 0.19% 21 0.25% 2,533 30.38% 8,338
Tunica 950 30.36% 2,140 68.39% 6 0.19% 14 0.45% 8 0.26% 7 0.22% 4 0.13% -1,190 -38.03% 3,129
Union 7,906 73.08% 2,839 26.24% 31 0.29% 17 0.16% 13 0.12% 8 0.07% 5 0.05% 5,067 46.84% 10,819
Walthall 3,888 61.17% 2,435 38.31% 12 0.19% 14 0.22% 1 0.02% 4 0.06% 2 0.03% 1,453 22.86% 6,356
Warren 11,356 57.69% 8,224 41.78% 40 0.20% 26 0.13% 12 0.06% 14 0.07% 11 0.06% 3,132 15.91% 19,683
Washington 7,731 39.45% 11,569 59.03% 43 0.22% 18 0.09% 101 0.52% 60 0.31% 75 0.38% -3,838 -19.58% 19,597
Wayne 5,562 63.24% 3,193 36.30% 15 0.17% 3 0.03% 12 0.14% 3 0.03% 7 0.08% 2,369 26.94% 8,795
Webster 3,708 73.16% 1,341 26.46% 6 0.12% 1 0.02% 5 0.10% 4 0.08% 3 0.06% 2,367 46.70% 5,068
Wilkinson 1,563 35.64% 2,794 63.72% 6 0.14% 3 0.07% 10 0.23% 4 0.09% 5 0.11% -1,231 -28.08% 4,385
Winston 5,386 57.21% 3,978 42.25% 19 0.20% 3 0.03% 5 0.05% 14 0.15% 10 0.11% 1,408 14.96% 9,415
Yalobusha 3,278 54.89% 2,656 44.47% 16 0.27% 6 0.10% 2 0.03% 11 0.18% 3 0.05% 622 10.42% 5,972
Yazoo 5,672 51.62% 5,013 45.63% 30 0.27% 89 0.81% 46 0.42% 60 0.55% 77 0.70% 659 5.99% 10,987
Totals 684,981 59.44% 458,094 39.75% 3,177 0.28% 1,793 0.16% 1,759 0.15% 1,272 0.11% 1,289 0.11% 226,887 19.69% 1,152,365
County Flips:

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Results by congressional district

Bush won three out of Mississippi's four congressional districts, including one held by a Democrat.

District Bush Kerry Representative
1st 62% 37% Roger Wicker
2nd 40% 57% Bennie G. Thompson
3rd 65% 34% Chip Pickering
4th 68% 31% Gene Taylor

Electors

Mississippi was assigned six electors to cast votes to the Electoral college. Given that Mississippi voted for Bush, all electors were pledged to cast their ballots for Bush. The electors were:[10]

  1. Kelly Segars
  2. John Phillips
  3. Wayne Parker
  4. Jimmy Creekmore
  5. Victor Mavar
  6. Billy Mounger

References