▁states . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁the ▁first ▁twelve ▁black ▁men ▁ran ▁for ▁office ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁since ▁Re const ruction ▁in ▁Hol mes ▁County ; ▁two ▁gained ▁local ▁office ▁and ▁one , ▁teacher ▁Robert ▁G . ▁Clark , ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁state ▁house . ▁He ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁re - elect ed ▁from ▁Hol mes ▁County ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁was ▁elected ▁three ▁times ▁as ▁speaker ▁of ▁the ▁House . ▁ ▁On ▁September ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁president ial ▁candidates ▁Bar ack ▁Ob ama ▁and ▁John ▁McC ain ▁deb ated ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Mississippi ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁president ial ▁debate ▁ever ▁hosted ▁in ▁Mississippi . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁first ▁official ▁debate ▁for ▁the ▁election . ▁The ▁debate ▁focused ▁on ▁foreign ▁policy ▁and ▁national ▁security ▁issues . ▁ ▁State ▁politics ▁( See : ▁List ▁of ▁count ies ▁in ▁Mississippi ) ▁ ▁During ▁dis f ranch is ement ▁and ▁majority - white ▁domin ance ▁of ▁the ▁Democratic ▁party ▁and ▁state ▁politics , ▁nearly ▁all ▁races ▁were ▁effectively ▁decided ▁in ▁the ▁Democratic ▁primary , ▁from ▁which ▁black s ▁were ▁ex cluded ▁by ▁the ▁" white ▁primary " ▁and ▁other ▁vot er ▁registration ▁tr icks . ▁Although ▁civil ▁rights ▁groups ▁mounted ▁legal ▁challeng es , ▁Mississippi ' s ▁constitution ▁was ▁u ph eld ▁for ▁some ▁time . ▁From ▁ 1 8 7 7 ▁to ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁the ▁Republic ans ▁ ▁field ed ▁a ▁g