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Waller was the District Attorney of Hinds County, from 1959 to 1967.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nga.org/governor/william-lowe-waller/|title=About Bill Waller|publisher=National Governors Association|accessdate=September 28, 2021}}</ref>

Waller was the District Attorney of Hinds County, from 1959 to 1967.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nga.org/governor/william-lowe-waller/|title=About Bill Waller|publisher=National Governors Association|accessdate=September 28, 2021}}</ref>

In that capacity, he unsuccessfully prosecuted Byron De La Beckwith, Jr. (1920-2001) in the murder of [[civil rights]] activist Medgar Wiley Evers (1925-1963). Both trials ended in hung juries. Because De La Beckwith was never acquitted in these trials, he was prosecuted again in 1994 and found guilty of [[murder]]. Coincidentally, Waller's main opponent for governor in the 1971 [[general election]] was Evers' brother, James Charles Evers (1922-2020), then the mayor of Fayette, who ran as an [Independent]], but at times was affiliated with the [[Republican Party]]. Waller handily prevailed, 601,222 votes (77 percent) to Evers' 172,762 (22.1 percent).<ref> {{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/11/03/archives/evers-is-defeated-in-large-turnout-in-mississippi-vote-evers.html|title=Evers Is Defeated In Large Turnout In Mississippi Vote|author=Roy Reed|publisher=''[[The New York Times]]''|date=November 2, 1971|page=1|accessdate=September 28, 2021}}</ref>

In that capacity, he unsuccessfully prosecuted Byron De La Beckwith, Jr. (1920-2001) in the murder of [[civil rights]] activist Medgar Wiley Evers (1925-1963). Both trials ended in hung juries. Because De La Beckwith was never acquitted in these trials, he was prosecuted again in 1994 and found guilty of [[murder]]. Coincidentally, Waller's main opponent for governor in the 1971 [[general election]] was Evers' brother, James Charles Evers (1922-2020), then the mayor of Fayette, who ran as an [[Independent voter|Independent]], but at times was affiliated with the [[Republican Party]]. Waller handily prevailed, 601,222 votes (77 percent) to Evers' 172,762 (22.1 percent).<ref> {{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/11/03/archives/evers-is-defeated-in-large-turnout-in-mississippi-vote-evers.html|title=Evers Is Defeated In Large Turnout In Mississippi Vote|author=Roy Reed|publisher=''[[The New York Times]]''|date=November 2, 1971|page=1|accessdate=September 28, 2021}}</ref>

Though supported by segregationists in the race against Evers, Waller was the first Mississippi governor in many years who won elections without employing racially offensive rhetoric. He organized working class white and [[African-American]] voters separately.  Waller effectively killed the segregationist Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission under previous executive director [[Erle Johnston]] by vetoing its appropriation. He appointed many blacks to positions in state government.

Though supported by segregationists in the race against Evers, Waller was the first Mississippi governor in many years who won elections without employing racially offensive rhetoric. He organized working class white and [[African-American]] voters separately.  Waller effectively killed the segregationist Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission under previous executive director [[Erle Johnston]] by vetoing its appropriation. He appointed many blacks to positions in state government.