Editing Charles Evers (section)

=== 1971 gubernatorial campaign ===
Evers began mulling the possibility of a campaign for the office of governor in 1969.{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=186}} He decided to enter the [[1971 Mississippi gubernatorial election|1971 gubernatorial election]] as an independent,{{sfn|Busbee|2014|p=343}} kicking off his campaign with a rally in Decatur.{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=187}} He later explained his reason for launching the bid, saying, "I ran for governor because if someone doesn't start running, there will never be a black man or a black woman governor of the state of Mississippi."{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=186}} He endorsed white segregationist [[Jimmy Swan]] in the Democratic primary, reasoning that if Swan won the nomination, moderate whites would be more inclined to vote for himself in the general election. He campaigned on a platform of reduced taxes—particularly for lower property taxes on the elderly, improved healthcare, and legalizing gambling along the [[Gulf Coast of the United States|Gulf Coast]].{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=188}} Low on money, his candidacy was largely funded by the sale of [[campaign button]]s and copies of his recently published autobiography. His campaign staff was largely young and inexperienced and lacked organization.{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=186}}<ref name="crimson"/>

Evers' rallies drew large crowds of blacks.{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|pp=186–187}} ''[[The Clarion-Ledger]]'', a leading Mississippian conservative newspaper, largely ignored his campaign. To gain attention, he unexpectedly gatecrashed the annual Fisherman's Rodeo in Pascagoula and stopped and spoke to people on the streets of Jackson during their morning commute.{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=187}} Police departments in rural towns were often horrified by the arrival of his campaign caravan.{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=188}} A total of 269 other black candidates were running for office in Mississippi that year, and many of them complained that Evers was self-absorbed and hoarding resources, despite his slim chances of winning. Evers did little to support them.{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|pp=188–189}}

In the general election, Evers faced Democratic nominee [[Bill Waller]] and independent segregationist [[Thomas Pickens Brady]].{{sfn|Busbee|2014|p=343}} Waller and Evers were personally acquainted with one another, as Waller had prosecuted Beckwith for the murder of Medgar.<ref name="crimson">{{cite web|last = Schoen|first= Douglas E.|date=December 14, 1971|url=http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1971/12/14/evers-for-everybody-plast-month-charles/|title=Evers For Everybody|website=The Crimson|access-date=January 14, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042917/http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1971/12/14/evers-for-everybody-plast-month-charles/|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=174}} Despite the fears of public observers, the campaign was largely devoid of overt racist appeals and Evers and Waller avoided negative tactics.{{sfn|Sansing|2016|p=211}} Though about 40 percent of the Mississippi electorate in 1971 was black, Evers only secured about 22 percent of the total vote;{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=187}} Waller won with 601,222 votes to Evers' 172,762 and Brady's 6,653.{{sfn|Sumners|1998|p=140}} The night of the election, Evers shook the hands of Waller supporters in Jackson and then went to a local television station where his opponent was delivering a victory speech.{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=173}} Learning that Evers had arrived, Waller's nervous aides hurried the governor-elect to his car. Evers approached the car shortly before its departure and told Waller, "I just wanted to congratulate you."<ref name = powers>{{cite magazine |first=Thomas |last=Powers |title=Letter from a Lost Campaign |magazine=Harper's Magazine |issue=March 1972}}</ref> Waller replied, "Whaddya say, Charlie?"{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|pp=173–174}} and his wife leaned over and shook Evers' hand.<ref name = powers/>