The 2006 United States Senate election in Mississippi was held November 7, 2006. Incumbent Republican Trent Lott won re-election to a fourth term.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Bill Bowlin, business consultant and Republican nominee for MS-01 in 1990
Erik R. Fleming, State Representative
James O'Keefe, businessman
Catherine Starr, activist
Results
General election
Candidates
Erik R. Fleming (D), State Representative
Trent Lott (R), incumbent U.S. Senator
Harold Taylor (L)
Campaign
Lott ran for re-election without facing any opposition in his party's primary. While it had been speculated that Lott might retire after his home was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina, he instead chose to run for re-election. Fleming is an African American, which represents 37% of the state's population. However, no African American has ever been elected to statewide office. The last black U.S. Senator was Hiram Revels, who was appointed and took office in 1870. Fleming got little help from the DSCC, which only donated $15,000 to his campaign.
Predictions
Results
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
Coahoma (Largest city: Clarksdale) Jefferson Davis (Largest city: Prentiss) Hinds (largest municipality: Jackson)
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
Washington (Largest city: Greenville) LeFlore (Largest city: Greenwood)
See also
2006 United States Senate elections
References
Election Results
Further reading
Orey, Byron D'Andra. "Racial Threat, Republicanism, and the Rebel Flag: Trent Lott and the 2006 Mississippi Senate Race," National Political Science Review July 2009, Vol. 12, pp. 83-96