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peculiar to defend something I have always taken for granted. ... Who, a few years ago, would have thought it possible to have reached the point ... where it is necessary to defend the human right to a choice? ... I fear that the state Democratic Party is unwittingly being used as a tool for the same goals of the national party. ... Today the majority of whites in this state are not one-party Democrats but true [[Independent voter|independents]] - and they are glad that there is the beginning of a second party - so that they can have a real choice.<ref>Billy Hathorn, "Challenging the Status Quo: Rubel Lex Phillips and the Mississippi Republican Party (1963-1967)", ''The Journal of Mississippi History'' XLVII, November 1985, No. 4, p. 249.</ref></blockquote> ​

peculiar to defend something I have always taken for granted. ... Who, a few years ago, would have thought it possible to have reached the point ... where it is necessary to defend the human right to a choice? ... I fear that the state Democratic Party is unwittingly being used as a tool for the same goals of the national party. ... Today the majority of whites in this state are not one-party Democrats but true [[Independent voter|independents]] - and they are glad that there is the beginning of a second party - so that they can have a real choice.<ref>Billy Hathorn, "Challenging the Status Quo: Rubel Lex Phillips and the Mississippi Republican Party (1963-1967)", ''The Journal of Mississippi History'' XLVII, November 1985, No. 4, p. 249.</ref></blockquote> ​

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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.​ 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 voter|Independent]] Charles Evers (born 1922), a [[civil rights]] activist, brother of the slain Medgar Evers (1925-1963), and the mayor of Fayette, in the gubernatorial [[general election]].<ref name=cdanielson/>​

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 voter|Independent]] Charles Evers (born 1922), a [[civil rights]] activist, brother of the slain Medgar Evers (1925-1963), 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]], to re-nominate the [[Richard Nixon|President Nixon]]-[[Spiro Agnew|Vice President Agnew]] ticket. Carmichael was the Republican 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 was a delegate to the 1972 [[Republican National Convention]], which met in Miami Beach, [[Florida]], to re-nominate the [[Richard Nixon|President Nixon]]-[[Spiro Agnew|Vice President Agnew]] ticket. Carmichael was the Republican 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. ​

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>​

 

===1975-1983===​

===1975-1983===

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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