▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁state ' s ▁popular ▁vote , ▁largely ▁by ▁virtue ▁of ▁D ix iec rat ▁supp or ters ▁taking ▁over ▁the ▁state ▁Democratic ▁mach in ery . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁a ▁sl ate ▁of ▁un ple d ged ▁Democratic ▁elect ors ▁won ▁a ▁pl ur ality ▁of ▁the ▁state ' s ▁vote . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁the ▁official ▁Democratic ▁candidate ▁had ▁not ▁carried ▁the ▁state ▁since ▁the ▁Re const ruction ▁era . ▁These ▁eight ▁elect ors ▁cast ▁their ▁elect oral ▁votes ▁for ▁conserv ative ▁Democratic ▁Senator ▁Harry ▁F . ▁By rd . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁the ▁white ▁vot ers ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁sw ung ▁over ▁dram atically ▁to ▁support ▁Barry ▁Gold water , ▁who ▁took ▁an ▁un he ard - of ▁ 8 7 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁state ' s ▁white ▁popular ▁vote ▁( this ▁was ▁while ▁most ▁African ▁Americans ▁were ▁still ▁dis f ranch ised ▁and ▁effectively ▁could ▁not ▁vote ) ▁in ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁Ly nd on ▁Johnson ' s ▁ 4 4 - state ▁national ▁lands lide . ▁ ▁Gold water ▁carried ▁several ▁count ies ▁with ▁well ▁over ▁ 9 0 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁vote , ▁and ▁his ▁five ▁best ▁count ies ▁in ▁the ▁nation ▁were ▁all ▁in ▁Mississippi . ▁Again , ▁he ▁was ▁supported ▁by ▁white ▁vot ers . ▁ ▁Since ▁then , ▁there ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁major ▁real ignment , ▁with ▁white ▁conserv ative ▁vot ers ▁supporting ▁Republic ans ▁for ▁the ▁state ' s