ubern atorial ▁candidate ▁only ▁twice . ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁after ▁passage ▁of ▁the ▁federal ▁V oting ▁Rights ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁that ▁federal ▁enfor cement ▁led ▁to ▁African ▁Americans ' ▁being ▁able ▁to ▁register ▁and ▁vote ▁in ▁numbers ▁related ▁to ▁their ▁population ▁in ▁the ▁state . ▁In ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁many ▁left ▁the ▁opp ress ive ▁conditions ▁here ▁in ▁the ▁Great ▁M igration ▁to ▁the ▁North ▁and ▁Mid west . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁Kirk ▁Ford ice ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁Republican ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁governor ship ▁since ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁Re const ruction . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁Ford ice ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁governor ▁to ▁be ▁re elect ed ▁to ▁a ▁second ▁term ▁since ▁the ▁ad option ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 ▁constitution . ▁ ▁Dem ocrat ▁Ron nie ▁Mus gro ve ▁won ▁a ▁close ▁election ▁over ▁U . S . ▁Congress man ▁Mike ▁Parker ▁to ▁become ▁governor ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁ ▁Mus gro ve ' s ▁term ▁was ▁marked ▁by ▁increased ▁concerns ▁over ▁the ▁state ▁budget ▁and ▁a ▁failed ▁refer endum ▁on ▁red es ign ing ▁the ▁state ▁flag ▁which ▁Mus gro ve ▁had ▁supported . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁Republican ▁H ale y ▁Bar bour ▁defeated ▁Mus gro ve ▁in ▁his ▁bid ▁for ▁re e lection . ▁ ▁Bar bour ' s ▁governor ship ▁was ▁domin ated ▁by ▁recovery ▁efforts ▁for