Mississippi

Mississippi, created as part of the Mississippi Territory, gained statehood in December 1817. The state seceded from the Union during the Civil War and did not participate in the 1864 or 1868 presidential elections. Like many southern states, Mississippi voted almost exclusively with the Democratic Party from Reconstruction through the early 1960s, when civil rights legislation and a Republican tactic called the “Southern Strategy” helped turn the state “red.” Three times since World War II, Mississippi has voted all its electors for third-party candidates, more than any other state. Since 1972, the state has voted Republican, except for 1976 when it supported Jimmy Carter of Georgia. Unlike many other southern states, Mississippi has not experienced great population growth; the 2000 census led to the state being reduced from seven to six electoral votes, the lowest number since 1848. In 2020, Donald Trump easily won the state by 58% to Joe Biden's 41%.