Economy Top Issue in Mississippi: EXIT POLLS

Republican Sen. Roger Wicker

From Media reports

JACKSON – More than half of Mississippi voters said the economy was the top issue on their minds as they voted in the presidential race Tuesday, according to a preliminary exit poll conducted for The Associated Press and other news organizations.

The economy was the most important issue, by a wide margin, while the deficit and health care were more distant concerns. A small share of voters listed foreign policy as the most important issue.

As expected, Romney was the heavy favorite in Mississippi and he cruised to an easy victory, defeating Obama by about 12 percentage points, according to the Associated Press.

Romney captured 55 percent of the vote with 661,056 against Obama’s 44 percent and 521,036. This was no surprise in a state that hasn’t voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since Jimmy Carter in 1976.

Republican Sen. Roger Wicker

Senate – Also anticipated, incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Wicker trounced his Democratic challenger, Albert Gore Jr. (no relation to the former vice president and presidential candidate of the same name). According to the AP, Wicker won about 57 percent of the vote.

House – The party balance of Mississippi’s congressional delegation was unchanged, with voters reelecting all four incumbents – including three Republicans and one Democrat – according to the AP. These include freshman Republican Steven Palazzo, who unseated Democrat Gene Taylor in 2010, and who benefited from Taylor’s decision not to attempt a comeback

Supreme Court results:

Supreme Court District 1 Position 1

449 of 614 precincts – 73 percent

Incumbent Bill Waller retains his seat with 55 percent of the vote with 143,813 against Earle Banks, Una 116,992 – 45 percent

Supreme Court District 2 Position 3

628 of 665 precincts – 94 percent

x – Mike Randolph, Una 230,621 – 77 percent

Talmadge Braddock, Una 69,704 – 23 percent

Supreme Court District 3 Position 3

528 of 638 precincts – 83 percent

x – Josiah Coleman, Una 160,892 – 58 percent

Richard Phillips, Una 117,936 – 42 percent

Ermea Russell

Appeals Court District 2 Position 2

311 of 377 precincts – 82 percent

x – Ceola James, Una 71,197 – 63 percent

Ermea Russell, Una 42,292 – 37 percent

Other preliminary results from exit polling in Mississippi:

Family Finances – A sizeable share of voters said they think their financial situation is worse now than it was four years ago. Smaller shares said their financial situation is about the same or better.

Religion – More than half of voters said they attend religious services once a week.

Minds made up long ago – A large majority said they made up their minds in the presidential race before September.

The preliminary exit poll of 549 Mississippi voters was conducted for the AP and the television networks by Edison Research in a random sample of 15 precincts statewide. Results were subject to sampling error of plus or minus 5 percentage points; it is higher for subgroups.