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Carmichael ran unsuccessfully for the Mississippi State Senate  in both 1966 and 1967, the latter on the statewide Republican ticket headed for a second time by Rubel Phillips.​

Carmichael ran unsuccessfully for the Mississippi State Senate  in both 1966 and 1967, the latter on the statewide Republican ticket headed for a second time by Rubel Phillips.​

In 1971, Carmichael considered a race for lieutenant governor, but Republicans that year fielded no statewide candidates as the [[Democrat|Democrat]] William Lowe "Bill" Waller Sr. ( 1926–2011) ] defeated the [[African-American]] Independent [[Charles Evers]], a [[civil rights]] activist, brother of the slain [[Medgar Evers]], and the mayor of Fayette, in the gubernatorial [[general election]].<ref name=cdanielson/>​

In 1971, Carmichael considered a race for lieutenant governor, but Republicans that year fielded no statewide candidates as the [[Democrat|Democrat]] William Lowe "Bill" Waller Sr. ( 1926–2011) ] defeated the [[African-American]] Independent [[Charles Evers]], a [[civil rights]] activist, brother of the slain [[Medgar Evers]], and the mayor of Fayette, in the gubernatorial [[general election]].<ref name=cdanielson/>​

 

Carmichael was a delegate to the 1972 [[Republican National Convention]], which met in [[Miami Beach, Florida|Miami Beach]], Florida, to re-nominate the [[Richard Nixon|President Nixon]]-[[Spiro Agnew|Vice President Agnew]] ticket. Carmichael was the Republican [[Candidate|nominee]] in 1972 for the [[U.S. Senate]] against the veteran Democrat [[James Eastland|James O. Eastland]]. In the Republican primary, Carmichael easily defeated the African-American civil rights figure [[James H. Meredith]]. In the fall campaign, President Nixon directed that Carmichael not attend a Republican rally in Jackson hosted by Agnew, who endorsed two successful Republican candidates for the [[United States House of Representatives]], [[Thad Cochran]] and [[Trent Lott]]. Instead Carmichael was humiliated and had to remain at Republican headquarters two blocks away from the festivities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jim-herring.blogspot.com/2010/05/rubel-phillips-gil-carmichael-and-jack.html|author=[[Jim Herring]]|title=Rubel Phillips, Gil Carmichael, and Jack Reed"|date=May 20, 2010|publisher=jimherring.blogspot.com|accessdate=May 5, 2014}}</ref>One of Eastland's press spokesmen was [[Larry Speakes]], later the [[White House]] acting press secretary in the [[Ronald W. Reagan]] administration. ​

Carmichael was a delegate to the 1972 [[Republican National Convention]], which met in [[Miami Beach, Florida|Miami Beach]], Florida, to re-nominate the [[Richard Nixon|President Nixon]]-[[Spiro Agnew|Vice President Agnew]] ticket. Carmichael was the Republican [[Candidate|nominee]] in 1972 for the [[U.S. Senate]] against the veteran Democrat [[James Eastland]]. In the Republican primary, Carmichael easily defeated the African-American civil rights figure James Howard Meredith. In the fall campaign, President Nixon directed that Carmichael not attend a Republican rally in Jackson hosted by Agnew, who endorsed two successful Republican candidates for the [[United States House of Representatives]], [[Thad Cochran]] and [[Trent Lott]]. Instead Carmichael was humiliated and had to remain at Republican headquarters two blocks away from the festivities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jim-herring.blogspot.com/2010/05/rubel-phillips-gil-carmichael-and-jack.html|author=[[Jim Herring]]|title=Rubel Phillips, Gil Carmichael, and Jack Reed"|date=May 20, 2010|publisher=jimherring.blogspot.com|accessdate=May 5, 2014}}</ref>One of Eastland's press spokesmen was Larry Speakes, later the [[White House]] acting press secretary in the [[Ronald W. Reagan]] administration. ​

 

Carmichael finished the race against Eastland with 249,779 votes (38.7%). Prentiss Walker (1917-1998) of Smith County, the first Mississippi Republican to serve in the[[United States House of Representatives]] in the 20th century, ran as an Independent in the Senate general election and drew 14,662 votes (2.3 percent). Walker had run as a strongly conservative Republican against Eastland in 1966 and claimed that the veteran senator was too close to Democratic President [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] and did little as chairman of the [[Senate Judiciary Committee]] to block the confirmation of liberal judges prone to enact [[Segregation|integrationist]] rulings. Eastland in his last victory at the polls won the race with 375,102 (58.1 percent);<ref name=campaigns>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=8573|title=Carmichael, Gil|publisher=ourcampaigns.com|accessdate=May 5, 2014}}</ref> he did not seek reelection in 1978 and was succeeded by Moderate Republican [[U.S. Representative]] [[Thad Cochran]].​

Carmichael finished the race against Eastland with 249,779 votes (38.7%). Prentiss Walker (1917-1998) of Smith County, the first Mississippi Republican to serve in the[[United States House of Representatives]] in the 20th century, ran as an Independent in the Senate general election and drew 14,662 votes (2.3 percent). Walker had run as a strongly conservative Republican against Eastland in 1966 and claimed that the veteran senator was too close to Democratic President [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] and did little as chairman of the [[Senate Judiciary Committee]] to block the confirmation of liberal judges prone to enact [[Segregation|integrationist]] rulings. Eastland in his last victory at the polls won the race with 375,102 (58.1 percent);<ref name=campaigns>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=8573|title=Carmichael, Gil|publisher=ourcampaigns.com|accessdate=May 5, 2014}}</ref> he did not seek reelection in 1978 and was succeeded by Moderate Republican [[U.S. Representative]] [[Thad Cochran]].​

 

In 1973, Carmichael's friend, Tom Stuart was elected as the first Republicanmayor of Meridian, in which capacity Stuart sought to pave streets and resolve downtown traffic problems.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.franklincountytimes.com/2001/11/19/tom-stuart-former-mayor-dies/|author=Sheila Blackmon|publisher=''Franklin County Times''|accessdate=June 5, 2014}}</ref>​

In 1973, Carmichael's friend, Tom Stuart was elected as the first Republicanmayor of Meridian, in which capacity Stuart sought to pave streets and resolve downtown traffic problems.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.franklincountytimes.com/2001/11/19/tom-stuart-former-mayor-dies/|author=Sheila Blackmon|publisher=''Franklin County Times''|accessdate=June 5, 2014}}</ref>​

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===1975-1983==1975-1983===​

===1975-1983===​

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In 1975 and 1979, Carmichael ran for governor against the Democratic nominees, Charles Clifton "Cliff" Finch (1927-1986) of Batesville and William Forrest Winter (born 1923), having polled 45.1 and 38.9 percent of the vote, respectively. In the race against Finch, who openly appealed for black support but sounded similar to [[George Wallace]] of neighboring [[Alabama]], Carmichael ran as a [[Moderate Republican]]. He promised economic development, the end of the cheap export of the state's natural resources, a new state constitution, ratification of the proposed [[Equal Rights Amendment]] to the [[United States Constitution]], reduced punishment for possession of [[marijuana]], and even the licensing of handguns.<ref name=cdanielson/>​

In 1975 and 1979, Carmichael ran for governor against the Democratic nominees, Charles Clifton "Cliff" Finch (1927-1986) of Batesville and William Forrest Winter (born 1923), having polled 45.1 and 38.9 percent of the vote, respectively. In the race against Finch, who openly appealed for black support but sounded similar to [[George Wallace]] of neighboring [[Alabama]], Carmichael ran as a [[Moderate Republican]]. He promised economic development, the end of the cheap export of the state's natural resources, a new state constitution, ratification of the proposed [[Equal Rights Amendment]] to the [[United States Constitution]], reduced punishment for possession of [[marijuana]], and even the licensing of handguns.<ref name=cdanielson/>​

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