a statewide Republican candidate at that time. Finch was inaugurated on January 20, 1976. Executive action In office, Finch held monthly "work days", whereby he would perform menial jobs to keep in contact with constituents. As governor, he helped save Mississippi's savings and loan industry from collapse, and provided flood relief after the 1979 Easter flood. During his tenure several people of minority status were elevated to positions of responsibility. He appointed the first black woman to the State College Board, selected a black man to lead the Governor's Office of Minority Affairs, and expanded the Minority Affairs Council to include Chinese people, Choctaw Native Americans, and more blacks. His actions to increase minority representation in government remained largely nominal; only seven percent of his first-year appointments went to blacks. Finch's tenure was marred by scandals. A federal grand jury conducted a three-year-long investigation into his administration and several state agencies were accused of corruption and mismanagement. Finch was never found guilty of any wrongdoing, though some of his aides and appointees were indicted. His marital tensions also received media coverage, as it was rumored that he and his wife fought in the Governor's Mansion. One rumor reported in the Jackson media suggested that Zelma shot Finch in the mansion during a heated debated about rumored affairs, though no evidence has ever been produced to substantiate the story. She eventually moved out, and Finch told the press that she was mentally ill. In 1979 his wife filed for divorce. By the end of his term, his approval ratings were the lowest among any Mississippi public official. Legislative action Many of Finch's proposals, including a repeal of the state sales tax on food and drugs, were rebuffed by the legislature. He pushed for an amendment to the state constitution to allow for gubernatorial succession, provoking the ire of leading businessmen and legislators. He convinced the Senate to approve such an amendment but the measure was defeated in the House of Representatives. He signed the act which abolished the State Sovereignty Commission. Political affairs At the time Finch took office, the Mississippi Democratic Party was split into two factions: the Regulars and the Loyalists. The split traced back to the 1960s, when black Democrats created the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party to challenge segregationist delegations at Democratic National Conventions. The segregationists became the Regulars, while the integrated forces became the Loyalists. Attempts to