Campaign
Musgrove campaigned as an independent and conservative candidate, downplaying his membership of the Democratic Party and avoiding inviting any national figures to support him. He criticised Barbour for being a lobbyist for the tobacco and pharmaceutical industries. A key message of Musgrove's campaign was that Barbour's support for free trade would cost jobs in Mississippi.
Barbour attacked Musgrove for his leadership of the state, blaming him for the state of the economy of Mississippi. He was helped by the President, George Bush, who made three trips to the state to support him. Numerous other leading Republican figures came to Mississippi to support Barbour including Dick Cheney, Jeb Bush and Rudy Giuliani.
A poll in October 2003 showed Barbour having a narrow lead with 50% saying they would vote for him as against 45% for Musgrove. However another poll at the beginning of November showed Musgrove with 42% against 41% for Barbour and both sides regarded turnout as key to the election.
Exit polls showed that black voters made up a third of the vote and 94% of them backed Musgrove. However among white voters 77% backed Barbour and a quarter of voters who supported Musgrove in his first election in 1999 now backed Barbour.
Read more about this topic: Mississippi Gubernatorial Election, 2003
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