Kirk Fordice | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 61st Governor of Mississippi | |
| In office January 14, 1992 – January 11, 2000 | |
| Lieutenant | Eddie Briggs Ronnie Musgrove |
| Preceded by | Ray Mabus |
| Succeeded by | Ronnie Musgrove |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Daniel Kirkwood Fordice Jr. February 10, 1934 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | September 7, 2004 (aged 70) Jackson, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Resting place | Parkway Memorial Cemetery, Ridgeland, Mississippi |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 4 |
| Profession | Businessman |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States ArmyArmy Reserve |
| Years of service | 1957–1959; 1959–1977 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
Daniel Kirkwood "Kirk" Fordice Jr. (/fɔːrdaɪs/; February 10, 1934 – September 7, 2004) was an American politician and businessman who served as the 61st governor of Mississippi from 1992 to 2000. He was the first Republican governor of the state since Reconstruction, and the state's first governor elected to two consecutive four-year terms (following a 1987 amendment to the state constitution).[1]
Fordice was a staunch conservative, running on a pro-business, anti-crime, low-tax, "family values" platform.[2] He first ran for governor in 1991, championing various conservative causes, and received 51 percent of the vote, defeating Democratic incumbent Ray Mabus. He was reelected in 1995, and served until his term expired in 2000.
- ^ "Haley Barbour: Sixty-fourth and Sixty-fifth Governor of Mississippi: 2004-2008; 2008-2012 | Mississippi History Now". www.mshistorynow.mdah.ms.gov. Archived from the original on December 30, 2016.
- ^ Smothers, Ronald (October 2, 1992). "A Two-Fisted Governor With a 'Foot in Mouth' Style". The New York Times. Retrieved September 15, 2018.