efforts due to opposition from legislators and lobbyists. He successfully secured funding for a new Mississippi Highway Patrol headquarters and enhancements to the state crime laboratory. He also convinced the legislature to remove tax collection responsibilities from the duties of county sheriffs. Political affairs Waller associated himself with the New South governors, his moderate contemporaries in other Southern states, and distanced himself from Alabama's staunchly segregationist governor, George Wallace. At the time he took office, the Mississippi Democratic Party was split into two factions: the Regulars, composed of white segregationists, and the Loyalists, composed of black members of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and moderate whites. In anticipation of the 1972 Democratic National Convention, Waller encouraged the Regular and Loyalist factions to re-unify, fearing that the convention would exclude the Regulars otherwise. Waller initially rejected a meeting with Loyalist leader Aaron Henry to reach a compromise, but later offered to give the Loyalists 40% representation in a mixed convention delegation. The offer was rebuffed and the convention ultimately seated the Loyalist faction's own delegation. Negotiations between the two groups continued throughout Waller's tenure. As part of this, Waller signed a law which permitted the Loyalist faction to choose between electing delegates in presidential primaries or nominating them at district conventions. He supported former mayor and district attorney Maurice Dantin in the 1975 Mississippi gubernatorial election. He was succeeded by Cliff Finch on January 20, 1976. Later political career After leaving gubernatorial office, Waller returned to practicing law in Jackson. Most of his clients were working class people, and he handled many divorce and personal injury suits. On March 10, 1978, he hosted a press conference in which he criticized Eastland for sharing his intent to seek reelection to the U.S. Senate, saying "I happen to believe a young man with some stamina and vigor is needed." On March 20, Waller officially announced his own campaign for the Senate seat, declaring, "We need a 60 hour a week man in Washington, not a six hour a week man." The following day Eastland withdrew his campaign. Angered by Waller's perceived betrayal, he recruited Dantin to run against him in the Democratic primary. Sullivan and Governor Finch also entered the race. Dantin won the primary while Waller, viewed by many Democrats as ungrateful of Eastland's support for him in 1971, placed fourth. Waller sought the Democratic nomination for governor again in 1987, running