The northeast Mississippians voted for geographic loyalty over party loyalty in 2012. Northeast Mississippians chose to vote for Childers, a Booneville resident, over Republican Greg Davis (the mayor of Southaven), which is a Memphis suburb on the opposite side of the state, in northwest Mississippi. In the Republican primary, Davis defeated Glenn McCullough Jr. from northeast Mississippi, who was the former mayor of Tupelo, and is currently the executive director of Mississippi Development Authority. State Sen. Alan Nunnelee, Tupelo’s Republican nominee, defeated Childers two years later, in part due to the votes he received from northeast Mississippi. It is most likely that Attorney General Jim Hood will be elected governor this year because of the support he received in his native northeast Mississippi. Hood, a Chickasaw County resident, has won four statewide elections against well-funded opponents. Hood, Mississippi’s only statewide elected Democrat has performed well, not only in northeast Mississippi but also in other areas of the state, including the Gulf Coast, suburban Jackson, and many other parts. Hood has won four statewide races with comfortable margins. Hood’s 2015 election as attorney general against Mike Hurst (current U.S. Attorney for the Southern District) was his closest – with 55 percent to 45 percent. Hood campaign officials will most likely admit that they don’t expect to win this year’s governor’s seat by more than a 10-point margin if they were given truth serum. Hood will be in the game if he is able perform at least as well as expected in traditional Democratic areas like Hinds County, Delta, and a few other areas. This is how Ronnie Musgrove, the last Democratic governor of Mississippi, defeated Mike Parker in 1999. Musgrove won the 10 counties of extreme Northeast Mississippi by approximately 7,700 votes. This margin is almost the same as his victory margin statewide in that razor-thin election. In the same counties, Republican Haley Barbour beat Musgrove by approximately 10,700 votes four years later. Musgrove won nine out of the 10 counties against Parker while Barbour only took three. Musgrove’s votes fell by a few hundred, but Barbour’s total surpassed that of Parker by over 16,500. The Republican Barbour was successful in driving up vote totals in many areas, from DeSoto County in northwest Mississippi down to the populous Harrison County along the Gulf Coast. Barbour and Jim Herring, then-chair of the state Republican Party, made it clear that their strategy included turning around the voters in northeast Mississippi. Barbour spent a lot of time in northeast Mississippi campaigning, even inviting NASCAR driver legend Darrell Waltrip. Herring recently stated that he believes northeast Mississippi is crucial for Republicans to be elected in Mississippi. Republicans should also be concerned about Hood’s origins in northeast Mississippi, where he has done well in the past. Hood was also a district attorney before he was elected attorney general. Hood’s old district included not only northeast Mississippi but also north central Mississippi. This area is where Hood made significant inroads. Herring stated that Hood wants to return to the “old yellow dog Democratic days” of the region. This year’s election for governor could hinge on whether the northeast Mississippi’s loyalty to geography is still stronger than its party loyalty._x000D