1944 United States presidential election in Mississippi

The 1944 U.S. presidential election in Mississippi occurred on November 7, 1944, as part of a broader national contest. Mississippi had been a one-party state dominated by the Democratic Party since Reconstruction, with the Republican Party virtually non-existent due to widespread voter disenfranchisement among African Americans and poor whites. Tensions arose within the Democratic Party over civil rights issues, particularly after Henry A. Wallace was appointed as vice president and following the 1943 Detroit race riots. Northern Democrats sought to restore black political rights, while Southern Democrats opposed this on grounds of "states' rights." The Supreme Court's decision in *Smith v. Allwright* (1944), which invalidated white primaries, further angered Mississippi Democrats. Combined with growing opposition to the New Deal, many Mississippi Democrats initially opposed Roosevelt's renomination. Despite these challenges, Franklin D. Roosevelt remained highly popular in Mississippi. Governor Thomas L. Bailey ultimately removed Democratic electors' names from the ballot to ensure their votes went to Roosevelt. In the election, Roosevelt won Mississippi with 93.56% of the vote, making it his strongest state. This marked the last time a candidate received over 90% of the popular vote in any U.S. state and the final time all counties in Mississippi voted for a Democratic presidential candidate until 1972. The next election would see the state's votes shift to the Dixiecrats, and by 1964, all counties would support Republicans. Roosevelt's victory in Mississippi was unprecedented, and the state would not vote as overwhelmingly for a Democrat or Republican again until 1964 when it ...