Gubernatorial Runoff Needed in Mississippi
JACKSON, Miss. — Crusading state Auditor Ray Mabus faces a two-decade-old jinx as he goes into a runoff campaign for the Democratic nomination for governor of Mississippi.
Mabus made it into the Aug. 25 runoff by receiving more than twice as many votes as his nearest rival in Tuesday’s primary, but the leading candidate in a primary election has not won a Democratic runoff since 1963.
The auditor expressed confidence Wednesday that he can beat Mike Sturdivant, a close friend of outgoing Gov. Bill Allain.
Unofficial returns showed that Mabus received 276,546 votes, or 37%, in the eight-way Democratic race. Sturdivant was second, with 16% of the vote, and former Gov. Bill Waller and two other candidates had 12% each.
In the Republican race, Jack Reed won the nomination easily with 14,318 votes, or 78%.
Mabus received widespread attention for a get-tough stance on county spending and was responsible for the recovery of thousands in misspent tax dollars.
Sturdivant is a farmer and businessman who owns a string of hotels.
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