Kirk Fordice

On November 5, Fordice won with 50.8 percent to Mabus' 47.6 percent, the first Republican victory in a Mississippi gubernatorial race since 1874.

Daniel Kirkwood "Kirk" Fordice Jr. (February 10, 1934 – September 7, 2004) was an American politician and businessman who served as the 61st governor of Mississippi from 1992 to 2000.

Daniel Kirkwood Fordice Jr. was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on February 10, 1934.

He studied civil engineering at Purdue University, earning a bachelor's degree and a master's in 1956 and 1957, respectively.

After graduation he served with the United States Army for two years.

In the 1960s he created a building division for the company, focusing on industrial structures, and in the 1980 he created a bridge division.

Fordice's reliance on federal government contracts led him to involve himself in several construction trade groups.

Fordice joined the Republican Party during Barry Goldwater's 1964 presidential campaign.

He chaired the Warren County organizations for Gil Carmichael's gubernatorial campaigns in the 1970s.

In 1974 he joined the executive committee of the Associated General Contractors of America.

He remained in the Army Reserve until 1977, retiring with the rank of colonel.

Fordice eventually took control of his father's firm, Fordice Construction Company.

In 1982 he was elected secretary of the Mississippi Republican Party and convinced the Associated General Contractors to publicly support Republican Haley Barbour in that year's United States Senate election in Mississippi.

He was the first Republican governor of the state since Reconstruction, and the state's first governor elected to two consecutive four-year terms (following a 1987 amendment to the state constitution).

Fordice was a staunch conservative, running on a pro-business, anti-crime, low-tax, "family values" platform.

Having received six percent less of the total vote share than in 1987, several observers blamed Mabus' loss on perception that he was an arrogant leader.

Holding various leadership positions in the group form 1988 to 1991 (serving the last two years as its president), he acted as a strong proponent of the construction industry and testified several times before U.S. congressional committees.

He led the organization through several involved lawsuits aimed at ending minority and small business set-aside requirements for contracting, including City of Richmond v. J.A. Croson Co..

His activity in the trade groups increased his interest in politics.

He first ran for governor in 1991, championing various conservative causes, and received 51 percent of the vote, defeating Democratic incumbent Ray Mabus.

In 1991 State Auditor Pete Johnson, a former Democrat, entered the 1991 Republican gubernatorial primary.

He was challenged by Fordice and another candidate.

While Johnson was treated as the frontrunner for much of the campaign, Fordice gradually built a skilled political organization.

He characterized Johnson as a "professional politician".

Fordice led in the first primary and defeated Johnson in an October runoff, taking 31,753 votes to Johnson's 20,622 votes.

While he approached Republican leaders who had embraced Johnson early on with some suspicion, the party rallied around him for the general election.

In the general election Fordice faced Democratic incumbent Ray Mabus.

Fordice declared his support for legislative term limits and welfare reform.

He labeled Mabus a "Kennedyesque liberal" who focused too much on education and criticized his deficit spending.

Republican-hosted focus groups found the governor to be "aloof" and unconcerned with the necessities of "average" Mississippians.

Mabus continued to advocate support for public education and attack Fordice as a lobbyist and outside who did not appreciate the needs of the state.

Later in the campaign, race became an issue, as Fordice declared his support for workfare and ending racial quotas.

Mabus aired a series of television ads which accused Fordice of planning to shut down the state's historically black schools.

The governor spent Twice as Much as his opponent and held an edge in polls up to the election, but many potential voters identified themselves as undecided.

Turnout among black voters was also lower in 1991, and some national Democrats accused Fordice of using race-baiting tactics.

He was inaugurated as governor on January 14, 1992.

He vetoed the Education Enhancement Act of 1992, arguing that it was tantamount to a tax increase, but the legislature overrode his veto.

He was reelected in 1995, and served until his term expired in 2000.

Fordice was re-elected in 1995 against Democratic Mississippi Secretary of State Dick Molpus.

His second inauguration was on January 16, 1996.