"Pete Perry...is a member of the election
subcommittee for the Hinds County GOP and is the county chairman for the
Haley Barbour campaign."...Sept. 2003
9/4/2003, "District 56 Voters Blame Haley Barbour," wlbt.net, J.P. Hervis, jphervis@wlbt.net
"A week ago the Hinds County Republican Executive Committee certified election results in the controversial House District 56 race.
Philip Gunn lost to incumbent Jep Barbour by 17 votes.
But Gunn says more than 200 Clinton-area voters weren't allowed to cast thier ballots because of well-documented election errors. Now many of those voters say they might take their frustration out on the governor's race.
"I would be hardpressed voting Republican at this time," said Linne Godfrey.
"Maybe I will, maybe I won't," said Reva Daniel. "Right now it would be difficult."
It's a strange song from residents of a Republican stronghold. In the last three major elections, voters from the Clinton area's seven precincts overwhelmingly voted Republican in major races. But that seems to be changing only two months before Haley Barbour might need their votes.
"People have pulled signs from their yard for Haley Barbour," says Melody Logan.
What's driving this trend? The Hinds County GOP committee not allowing a revote in the District 56 primary between Gunn and Haley Barbour's nephew, Jep-
despite documented election errors.
"I'm not voting for him, and I'm telling everybody I can possibly tell what happened the night of the committee meeting," says Marco Wilson.
These voters believe committee members were influenced by the Haley Barbour campaign in their decision.
"It was the Haley machine against the poor Clinton people," said one voter.
"A number of members of the executive committee was either working for him or was closely connected," says Logan.
One of those members is Pete Perry. He's a member of the election subcommittee for the Hinds County GOP and is the county chairman for the Haley Barbour campaign. Perry says committee members did their very best to be fair, simply evaluating arguments for a revote.
Haley Barbour's campaign released this statement to WLBT: "Haley had nothing to do with running this election or drawing the precinct lines that were so confusing. Haley Barbour is focused on running his own campaign for governor."
Philip Gunn didn't want to speculate.
"I can't look inside those people's conscience and know if they were influenced of not," he says. "All I can do is trust they are fair."
The Clinton voters admit they have no proof about Haley Barbour's influence on the race. They base their allegations on what they call "common sense."
Gunn might still take his arguments to court. Jep Barbour couldn't be reached for comment."
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Haley Barbour was Governor of Mississippi for two terms, from 2004-2012.
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Haley Barbour's nephew Charles served two terms as Hinds County Supervisor, 1999-2011:
8/26/2010, "PERRY/Mississippi’s political dynasties," Yall politics, Brian Perry, Neshoba Democrat
"The Barbours - Current Governor Haley R. Barbour is descended from Mississippi's third governor, Walter Leake; but we don't have to go that far to prove a Barbour dynasty. His older brother Jeppie served as mayor of Yazoo City. Jep Barbour, son of Jeppie, served a term in the state legislature
and Jep's brother Charles served two terms as la Hinds County supervisor from 1999-2007.
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