GOP candidates head for runoff in Mississippi governor's race

Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Two Republican candidates for Mississippi governor are headed for a runoff, after the margin of victory in a primary Tuesday was too narrow to certify a winner.

Mississippi Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves won nearly 49 percent of the primary vote, challenger Bill Waller Jr. won 33 percent and Robert Foster nearly 18 percent. Reeves and Waller advance to the runoff stage.

Mississippi law mandates a runoff between the top two candidates if none win a majority share of ballots. Reeves, the chief deputy to the term-limited Gov. Phil Bryant, was widely expected to take the primary outright Tuesday.

"Our goal from the very start was to be in a runoff and it appears right now that 52 percent of people that voted in this primary weren't happy with the leadership they were given," Waller told supporters. "I believe people ... are going to rise up, and we're going to take control of this thing."

Reeves said he expects to win the Aug. 27 runoff, and the general election in November.

"We are the only campaign that won in every region of our state," he said. "Because of you, we're going to win over 70 counties across Mississippi."

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood won the Democratic primary, with 69 percent support.