2003 Mississippi gubernatorial election

2003 Mississippi gubernatorial election

← 1999 November 4, 2003 2007 →

Nominee Haley Barbour Ronnie Musgrove Party Republican Democratic Electoral vote 76 46 Popular vote 470,404 409,787 Percentage 52.59% 45.81%

County results Barbour:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Musgrove:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

Governor before election Ronnie Musgrove Democratic Elected Governor Haley Barbour Republican

Elections in Mississippi
Federal government U.S. President 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 Dem 2004 2008 Dem Rep 2012 Dem Rep 2016 Dem Rep 2020 Dem Rep 2024 Dem Rep U.S. Senate 1817 1820 1820 sp 1823 1823 1826 sp 1828 1830 sp 1833 sp 1835 1838 1839 sp 1841 1844 1846 sp 1848 sp 1850 1852 sp 1852 sp 1854 sp 1859 1870 1874 1874 sp 1876 1880 1883 1886 1886 sp 1889 1892 1894 sp 1899 1900 1900 sp 1904 1906 1908 1910 sp 1912 1916 1918 1922 1924 1928 1930 1934 1936 1940 1941 sp 1942 1946 1947 sp 1948 1952 1954 1958 1960 1964 1966 1970 1972 1976 1978 1982 1984 1988 1990 1994 1996 2000 2002 2006 2008 2008 sp 2012 2014 2018 2018 sp 2020 2024 2026 U.S. House 1801 1802 (Terr sp) 1806 1817 1819 1820 1822 1824 1826 At-large sp 1828 At-large sp 1830 1832 1835 1837 1839 1841 1843 1845 1847 1849 1851 1853 1855 1857 1858 5th sp 1859 1865 1868 1869 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1934 1940 1942 1946 1950 1956 1962 1968 3rd sp 1972 1980 1981 4th sp 1982 1984 1986 1988 1989 5th sp 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2004 2006 2008 1st sp 2010 2012 2014 2015 1st sp 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
State government State elections 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2020 2023 Gubernatorial elections 1817 1819 1821 1823 1825 1827 1829 1831 1833 1835 1837 1839 1841 1843 1845 1847 1849 1851 1853 1855 1857 1859 1861 1863 1865 1869 1873 1877 1881 1885 1889 1895 1899 1903 1907 1911 1915 1919 1923 1927 1931 1935 1939 1943 1947 1951 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 1975 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023 2027 State Senate elections 2011 2015 2019 2023 House of Representatives elections 2011 2015 2019 2023 Attorney General elections 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Ballot measures 2001 Flag referendum 2004 Amendment 1 2020 Initiative 65 Measure 3
City of Jackson Mayoral elections 2005 2009 2013 2014 2017 2021 2025
Gulfport Mayoral elections 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2025
Southaven Mayoral elections 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2025
Biloxi Mayoral elections 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2025
Hattiesburg Mayoral elections 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2025
v t e

The 2003 Mississippi gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2003 to elect the governor of the U.S. state of Mississippi. Former Republican National Committee chairman Haley Barbour defeated incumbent Democrat Ronnie Musgrove by a margin of 6.78%.

As of 2024, the election remains the most expensive Mississippi gubernatorial election in state history, with over $18 million having been spent between Barbour and Musgrove.^[1] An additional $5 million was spent by the Republican Governors Association, mostly on television advertising. Barbour's victory in the election made him only the second Republican governor of Mississippi since Reconstruction.^[2] It was also the last time the governorships of Mississippi and neighboring Louisiana simultaneously flipped to the opposite political party as of 2024.