Changes

==1967 election results==

==1967 election results==

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Phillips was rudely treated during his appearance at the Tri-State Fair in Greenville<ref>''Greenville Delta Democrat-Times,'' October 5, 1967.</ref> even though Washington County gave him his best vote in the state in both 1963 (61 percent) and 1967 (49.7 percent). Overall, Phillips received only 133,379 votes (29.7 percent), 5,136 fewer than in 1963. Williams polled 315,318 votes.<ref>State of Mississippi, Election Statistics, 1967.</ref> One Republican told ''Time'' magazine that the results had halted Republican growth in Mississippi by probably fifteen years.<ref>''Time Magazine,'' November 17, 1967, p. 29.</ref> The GOP lost its three seats in the Mississippi legislature. Republican Representative Lewis Leslie McAllister, Jr., was among those defeated though he polled a majority within the boundaries of his former Meridian-based district. Two others who lost their seats were state Senator [[Seelig Wise]] and Representative Charles Kistner Pringle, Sr. A rare Republican victory was the election of Roy Fulton as a supervisor in Washington County. Even the Republican coroner in Hinds County, Dr. Thomas Davis, was swept from office in the Williams landslide. Phillips wired Williams to offer congratulations and support for what he called the new governor's "every progressive endeavor."<ref>''Challenging the Status Quo," p. 262.</ref>

Phillips was rudely treated during his appearance at the Tri-State Fair in Greenville<ref>''Greenville Delta Democrat-Times,'' October 5, 1967.</ref> even though Washington County gave him his best vote in the state in both 1963 (61 percent) and 1967 (49.7 percent). Overall, Phillips received only 133,379 votes (29.7 percent), 5,136 fewer than in 1963. Williams polled 315,318 votes.<ref>State of Mississippi, Election Statistics, 1967.</ref> One Republican told ''Time'' magazine that the results had halted Republican growth in Mississippi by probably fifteen years.<ref>''Time Magazine,'' November 17, 1967, p. 29.</ref> The GOP lost its three seats in the Mississippi legislature. Republican Representative Lewis Leslie McAllister, Jr., was among those defeated though he polled a majority within the boundaries of his former Meridian-based district. Two others who lost their seats were state Senator [[Seelig Wise]] and Representativ[[Charles K. Pringle]], Sr., of Biloxi. A rare Republican victory was the election of Roy Fulton as a supervisor in Washington County. Even the Republican coroner in Hinds County, Dr. Thomas Davis, was swept from office in the Williams landslide. Phillips wired Williams to offer congratulations and support for what he called the new governor's "every progressive endeavor."<ref>''Challenging the Status Quo," p. 262.</ref>

The Mississippi GOP slowly rebounded from Phillips' defeat. Five years later in 1972, two Republicans, [[Thad Cochran]] and [[Trent Lott]], were elected to the U.S. House and both eventually became influential U.S. Senators as well. Senator Lott was succeeded by another Republican still in office, [[Roger Wicker]]. The GOP did not offer a gubernatorial candidate in 1971 but has done so in all elections since 1975. The party nominee did not prevail until 1991, with the victory of Daniel Kirkwood "Kirk" Fordice, Jr. (1934-2004). Since Fordice's two terms, [[Haley Barbour]], a [[Moderate Republican]], served two terms as governor. In 2012, a third Republican, conservative [[Phil Bryant]], assumed the office. In the 2011 elections and steps down in 2020. Republicans also won control of both houses of the legislature, advances unimaginable at the time of Rubel Phillips' second gubernatorial defeat.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.enterprise-journal.com/opinion/article_db724200-9c46-11e0-8a04-001cc4c002e0.html|title=Editorial: "How Times Have Changed"|publisher=enterprise-journal.com|accessdate=December 1, 2011}}</ref>​

The Mississippi GOP slowly rebounded from Phillips' defeat. Five years later in 1972, two Republicans, [[Thad Cochran]] and [[Trent Lott]], were elected to the U.S. House and both eventually became influential U.S. Senators as well. Senator Lott was succeeded by another Republican still in office, [[Roger Wicker]]. The GOP did not offer a gubernatorial candidate in 1971 but has done so in all elections since 1975. The party nominee did not prevail until 1991, with the victory of Daniel Kirkwood "Kirk" Fordice, Jr. (1934-2004). Since Fordice's two terms, [[Haley Barbour]], a [[Moderate Republican]], served two terms as governor. In 2012, a third Republican, conservative [[Phil Bryant]], assumed the office. In the 2011 elections and steps down in 2020. Republicans also won control of both houses of the legislature, advances unimaginable at the time of Rubel Phillips' second gubernatorial defeat.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.enterprise-journal.com/opinion/article_db724200-9c46-11e0-8a04-001cc4c002e0.html|title=Editorial: "How Times Have Changed"|publisher=enterprise-journal.com|accessdate=December 1, 2011}}</ref>​