Hood was asked about the flag that was positioned above his left shoulder during a Jackson interview about his career and unsuccessful gubernatorial elections. It is wrapped around the pole and Hood stands opposite Old Glory. This makes it difficult to identify. He is unsure and stammers a little until an assistant tells him, “It’s bicentennial state Flag.” Hood then recalls that Alyce Clarke (the first African American woman to serve as a legislator), visited his office to meet with him. Hood stated that he had decided to take down the controversial state flag. It included the Confederate battle emblem. “Out of respect I went over to her and sat down. Hood spoke of Hood, an 80-year-old House representative beginning her 35th year as a legislator. “I saw her gaze at the flag. I replied, “Mrs. Alyce, I am sorry. Hood looked at his eyes and apologized. In a separate interview, Rep. Clarke joked about the incident. Hood also has a photo titled “And he replaced that flag with a picture of me.” (Hood also keeps a photo titled “The late Democratic Speaker Billy McCoy” in his office). She said that he removed the flag because he was so proud of her. Hood’s admiration for Clarke was a contrast to his campaign for the top Mississippi government job. Hood spoke out about the need for a change to the state flag during his gubernatorial campaign. However, he was reluctant to talk about the topic as he sought to appeal to white voters, many of whom, according polls, are against changing the flag. Hood, the only statewide elected Democrat was not able to win enough white votes to defeat Republican Lieutenant Governor. Tate Reeves. Hood does not doubt his campaign strategy. Hood said that they did all they could. He is happy with the outcome. It is not possible to imagine anything that would have affected the outcome. It was a partisan move. Some people will vote against people that they have known their whole lives due to their party affiliation. Hood stated that he thinks national Democrats’ attempts to impeach Donald Trump may have had an impact on his campaign. His campaign, however, did not believe Trump or impeachment would play a role at the time. He admits that this calculation was most likely wrong. He said that Republicans had tied impeachment to voting in his favor. It was not something I said. Hood said that it had nothing to do with my campaign. But Hood insists that instead of dwelling on the election’s outcome, he is looking forward to the next chapter in his life. Hood made it clear that he was willing to work on many issues that negatively affect the state, such as education closings and hospital closures. However, Hood said that losing the election has helped relieve the pressure in his life. He said that he started reading for fun and not for work for the first time in many years. He is currently reading William Faulkner’s novel “As I Lay Dying”, which he discovered in his hunting cabin. Hood announced that he would open an office in the same building where his father used to work, located in Houston, Mississippi. Hood said that he would continue to be active on many of the same issues he was involved in as attorney general. Hood said that he will continue to pursue antitrust and privacy litigation against internet- and other-technology companies, as well as mental health issues and ensuring that insurance companies fulfill their responsibilities after disasters. Hood was a career prosecutor, but had never practiced in private law. He was criticised for being too close with trial lawyers in his pursuit of private firms, like the insurance industry following Hurricane Katrina devastated the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Hood accepted campaign donations from many of the same trial lawyers who were making money through lawsuits that were filed with the AG’s Office. This was often mentioned by political opponents. Hood claims he was doing the right thing. Hood said that he was proud of his work as AG. This included fighting against domestic violence by tougher laws, bullying teens, fighting internet identity theft and pursuing criminal prosecutions for the sale or purchase of counterfeit property online. He also pursued cases against child pornography dealers. Although his father was Chickasaw County’s prosecutor, he didn’t want to become one as a child. Hood recalls the 1973 fire at his family home. It was thought that it was revenge for his father. However, this could not be proved. Hood said that he got the bug when he was moved to the drug section while working in the AG office. Hood won a north Mississippi district attorney election. Hood served two terms, before deciding to run for the position of attorney general to replace Mike Moore, his mentor and boss. Hood found a postcard written by Andrew Goodman, one of three civil rights workers who were killed in 1964 in Neshoba. Hood was cleaning out his office. Hood made the post card evidence after he and local prosecutors convicted Edgar Ray Killen of three murders. Killen died in Parchman in January 2018. Goodman sent the postcard to his mother, in New York, shortly after he arrived at Meridian. The day before he left for Neshoba County, Killen was killed along with James Chaney. Hood stated that Goodman sent the postcard to his mother to ease her worries. It was not what I planned to do when running. However, I was able to ask the facts and the law about the case and do my duty. It’s like being in the military. When I received an order, I was going to comply with it I didn’t worry about politics. It served me well. …. I let the politics play out. “x000D_If they whip my butt and sent it home, that was fine.”