2015 Mississippi gubernatorial election

The 2015 Mississippi gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 2015, to elect the governor of Mississippi. Incumbent Republican governor Phil Bryant won a second and final term in office with more than 66% of votes, the highest percentage and vote share that a Republican has ever won in a gubernatorial election in Mississippi.

The election gained national news coverage and attention due to the unexpected Democratic nominee selection of truck driver and former firefighter, Robert Gray, who had not had any political experience prior to his candidacy. As of 2026, this is the last time that the following counties have voted Republican for governor: Clay, Marshall, Quitman, Sharkey, and Tallahatchie.

Background Mississippi is one of nine states and territories that has lifetime limits of two terms for its governor. In 2011, with incumbent Republican governor Haley Barbour term-limited, Republican Lieutenant Governor Phil Bryant was elected to succeed him. Bryant won the Republican primary with 59% of the vote and then defeated the Democratic nominee, Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree, with 61% of the vote.

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared Phil Bryant, incumbent governor Mitch Young

Declined Chris McDaniel, state senator and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2014 Michael Watson, state senator

Result

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared Robert Gray, truck driver and retired firefighter Valerie Short, physician Vicki Slater, attorney

Declined Travis Childers, former U.S. representative and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2014 Jim Hood, Attorney General of Mississippi (running for re-election) Bill Luckett, Mayor of Clarksdale and candidate for governor in 2011 Dick Molpus, former Secretary of State of Mississippi and nominee for governor in 1995 Brandon Presley, Commissioner for the Northern District of the Mississippi Public Service Commission and former mayor of Nettleton (running for re-election)

Result

Reform Party nomination

Candidate Shawn O'Hara, perennial candidate

General election Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report October 26, 2015 Rothenberg Political Report October 27, 2015 Sabato's Crystal Ball October 29, 2015 DKE October 29, 2015

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror PhilBryant (R) RobertGray (D) ShawnO'Hara (Ref) UndecidedMason-Dixon October 21–25, 2015 625 ± 4% 66% 28% 1% 5%

Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror PhilBryant (R) JimHood (D) Other UndecidedPublic Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling July 10–13, 2014 691 ± 3.7% 44% 33% — 22%

Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror PhilBryant (R) BrandonPresley (D) Other UndecidedPublic Policy Polling July 10–13, 2014 691 ± 3.7% 49% 26% — 25%

Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror PhilBryant (R) ValerieShort (D) Other UndecidedMason-DixonMason-Dixon April 21–23, 2015 625 ± 4% 63% 28% 3%Shawn O'Hara (Reform) 6%

Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror PhilBryant (R) VickiSlater (D) Other UndecidedMason-DixonMason-Dixon April 21–23, 2015 625 ± 4% 61% 30% 2% 7%

Results

By county CountyPhil BryantRepublicanRobert GrayDemocraticShawn O'HaraReformMarginTotal#%#%#%#%Adams3,76751.06%3,53947.97%710.96%2283.09%7,377Alcorn8,81783.34%1,64915.59%1131.07%7,16867.76%10,579Amite3,17661.96%1,87436.56%761.48%1,30225.40%5,126Attala3,44967.96%1,57731.07%490.97%1,87236.89%5,075Benton1,75363.40%95834.65%541.95%79528.75%2,765Bolivar4,25545.30%5,04053.66%981.04%-785-8.36%9,393Calhoun3,95776.81%1,14422.20%510.99%2,81354.60%5,152Carroll2,93472.25%1,09626.99%310.76%1,83845.26%4,061Chickasaw3,54561.76%2,14137.30%540.94%1,40424.46%5,740Choctaw2,21578.66%57020.24%311.10%1,64558.42%2,816Claiborne1,15833.24%2,25064.58%762.18%-1,092-31.34%3,484Clarke4,25371.72%1,59526.90%821.38%2,65844.82%5,930Clay3,60149.85%3,54749.10%761.05%540.75%7,224Coahoma1,86746.58%2,09552.27%461.15%-228-5.69%4,008Copiah4,08855.66%3,16243.06%941.28%92612.61%7,344Covington4,47170.02%1,83828.79%761.19%2,63341.24%6,385DeSoto16,83779.87%3,90418.52%3391.61%12,93361.35%21,080Forrest11,99869.61%4,96828.82%2701.57%7,03040.79%17,236Franklin2,05366.46%99632.24%401.29%1,05734.22%3,089George5,34887.51%63410.37%1292.11%4,71477.14%6,111Greene3,09779.78%69717.95%882.27%2,40061.82%3,882Grenada4,46265.11%2,32433.91%670.98%2,13831.20%6,853Hancock6,67578.64%1,63419.25%1792.11%5,04159.39%8,488Harrison21,54869.52%8,70928.10%7392.38%12,83941.42%30,996Hinds22,40339.33%33,54858.89%1,0121.78%-11,145-19.57%56,963Holmes1,61032.45%3,27265.95%791.59%-1,662-33.50%4,961Humphreys1,13342.71%1,49056.16%301.13%-357-13.46%2,653Issaquena34661.35%21137.41%71.24%13523.94%564Itawamba6,05386.81%84012.05%801.15%5,21374.76%6,973Jackson18,32373.83%6,00024.18%4941.99%12,32349.66%24,817Jasper3,64456.86%2,65441.41%1111.73%99015.45%6,409Jefferson71326.10%1,97172.14%481.76%-1,258-46.05%2,732Jefferson Davis2,00949.24%2,03249.80%390.96%-23-0.56%4,080Jones13,96079.49%3,35619.11%2471.41%10,60460.38%17,563Kemper1,95251.30%1,81447.67%391.02%1383.63%3,805Lafayette6,88162.76%3,89835.55%1851.69%2,98327.21%10,964Lamar11,55584.63%1,94114.22%1581.16%9,61470.41%13,654Lauderdale12,13071.38%4,68627.58%1771.04%7,44443.81%16,993Lawrence3,44669.34%1,47529.68%490.99%1,97139.66%4,970Leake3,88564.51%2,09034.71%470.78%1,79529.81%6,022Lee14,40274.66%4,66524.18%2241.16%9,73750.47%19,291Leflore3,17744.61%3,86854.31%771.08%-691-9.70%7,122Lincoln7,98476.58%2,36222.65%800.77%5,62253.92%10,426Lowndes10,28758.53%7,13740.61%1510.86%3,15017.92%17,575Madison18,93769.41%8,00229.33%3451.26%10,93540.08%27,284Marion5,67475.56%1,76223.47%730.97%3,91252.10%7,509Marshall3,41251.81%3,10547.15%681.03%3074.66%6,585Monroe7,68271.57%2,95127.49%1010.94%4,73144.07%10,734Montgomery2,49763.76%1,38535.37%340.87%1,11228.40%3,916Neshoba5,96881.53%1,29117.64%610.83%4,67763.89%7,320Newton5,17575.75%1,58423.19%731.07%3,59152.56%6,832Noxubee1,21735.21%2,19063.37%491.42%-973-28.15%3,456Oktibbeha6,77360.23%4,34938.67%1231.09%2,42421.56%11,245Panola6,86860.64%4,34438.36%1131.00%2,52422.29%11,325Pearl River7,50181.58%1,50116.32%1932.10%6,00065.25%9,195Perry3,28281.14%68817.01%751.85%2,59464.13%4,045Pike6,68255.89%5,12642.88%1471.23%1,55613.02%11,955Pontotoc7,00883.33%1,31515.64%871.03%5,69367.69%8,410Prentiss5,15579.66%1,25819.44%580.90%3,89760.22%6,471Quitman1,44950.56%1,35947.42%582.02%903.14%2,866Rankin27,58481.56%5,81117.18%4271.26%21,77364.38%33,822Scott4,68865.82%2,36533.21%690.97%2,32332.62%7,122Sharkey84050.09%81648.66%211.25%241.43%1,677Simpson5,65672.33%2,07726.56%871.11%3,57945.77%7,820Smith4,68081.24%1,00317.41%781.35%3,67763.83%5,761Stone4,09377.92%1,05820.14%1021.94%3,03557.78%5,253Sunflower2,77148.06%2,90350.35%921.60%-132-2.29%5,766Tallahatchie2,11458.25%1,45940.20%561.54%65518.05%3,629Tate4,48673.59%1,52725.05%831.36%2,95948.54%6,096Tippah5,32981.87%1,10917.04%711.09%4,22064.83%6,509Tishomingo5,43780.92%1,16317.31%1191.77%4,27463.61%6,719Tunica1,20147.21%1,28150.35%622.44%-80-3.14%2,544Union6,54885.59%1,02713.42%750.98%5,52172.17%7,650Walthall3,31268.18%1,47030.26%761.56%1,84237.92%4,858Warren7,64163.79%4,19635.03%1411.18%3,44528.76%11,978Washington4,38645.46%5,15353.41%1091.13%-767-7.95%9,648Wayne4,37768.33%1,92930.11%1001.56%2,44838.21%6,406Webster2,89882.63%58216.60%270.77%2,31666.04%3,507Wilkinson1,31135.92%2,25561.78%842.30%-944-25.86%3,650Winston4,14065.14%2,17834.27%380.60%1,96230.87%6,356Yalobusha2,43363.66%1,34135.09%481.26%1,09228.57%3,822Yazoo3,97759.05%2,69440.00%640.95%1,28319.05%6,735Totals480,39966.24%234,85832.38%9,9501.37%245,54133.86%725,207

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Adams (largest city: Natchez) Clay (largest city: West Point) Jasper (largest city: Bay Springs) Kemper (largest city: De Kalb) Marshall (largest city: Holly Springs) Quitman (largest city: Marks) Sharkey (largest city: Rolling Fork) Tallahatchie (largest city: Charleston)

By congressional district Bryant won three of four congressional districts. District Bryant Gray Representative 73% 26%Trent Kelly 49% 50%Bennie Thompson 69% 30%Gregg Harper 76% 23%Steven Palazzo

2015 Mississippi gubernatorial election

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