58 Facts About Haley Barbour

Haley Reeves Barbour was born on October 22,1947 and is an American attorney, politician, and lobbyist who served as the 63rd governor of Mississippi from 2004 to 2012.

Haley Barbour was an active Republican operative during the 1970s and 1980s, and he is often credited with building significant Republican infrastructure in Mississippi during an era when it was still dominated by Southern Democrats.

Haley Barbour was the Republican nominee for US Senate in 1982, but lost to incumbent Democrat John C Stennis.

In 2003, Haley Barbour became the second Republican governor of Mississippi since Reconstruction when he defeated Democratic incumbent Ronnie Musgrove.

Haley Barbour was expected to be a candidate for president in 2012, but announced he would not run in April 2011.

Since retiring as governor, Haley Barbour has resumed lobbying as a senior partner at BGR Group, which he co-founded in 1991.

Haley Barbour has been described as "one of Washington's all-time mega-lobbyists".

Haley Barbour's clients have often included foreign governments, oil, and tobacco companies.

Haley Barbour was born in Yazoo City, Mississippi, where he was raised as the youngest of three sons of Grace LeFlore and Jeptha Fowlkes Haley Barbour, Jr.

Haley's father, a lawyer, died when Barbour was two years old.

Haley Barbour's father was a Circuit Judge who had an inmate, Leon Turner, assist him after Judge Haley Barbour became ill.

Subsequently, Haley Barbour joined his father's old law firm in Yazoo City.

Haley Barbour was a law partner of his cousin, William H Barbour Jr.

Haley Barbour soon became prominent within the Republican party running Gerald Ford's 1976 presidential campaign in the Southeast.

Haley Barbour worked on the campaign of former Texas governor John Connally, who had become a Republican, for president in 1980.

Haley Barbour, embarrassed that the comment was overheard by a reporter, told the aide that he would be "reincarnated as a watermelon and placed at the mercy of blacks" if he continued making racist comments.

Haley Barbour has been described as "one of Washington's all-time mega-lobbyists".

In 1993, Haley Barbour became chairman of the Republican National Committee.

In 1997, Haley Barbour retired from his position as chairman of the RNC.

Haley Barbour defeated incumbent Musgrove in the general election on November 4,2003, with 53 percent of the vote to Musgrove's 46 percent.

Haley Barbour became just the second Republican governor elected in Mississippi since Reconstruction, the first being Kirk Fordice.

Haley Barbour has been praised for translating his lobbying skills into success at winning over a legislature dominated by Democrats.

Haley Barbour has called several special legislative sessions to force an issue.

Haley Barbour accomplished this largely by reducing spending on social services, most notably Medicaid; the 2005 budget drastically reduced coverage for 65,000 individuals classified as Poverty-Level Aged and Disabled, most of whom qualified for the federal Medicare program, and significantly limited prescription drug coverage.

Haley Barbour rarely made a speech during his gubernatorial campaign without mentioning this subject and was able to convert political support into law, overcoming the resistance of House Democratic leaders, who argued that further legislation would disenfranchise people with legitimate complaints against corporations.

Haley Barbour then embarked on a "tort tour" to encourage other states to follow Mississippi's lead.

Haley Barbour has bruised the image of Mississippi and given joy to many of the inmates he's overseen who can now say the head of the state prison system was just as corrupt as any of them.

Haley Barbour's response was characterized by a concerted effort at evacuation, tough-minded talk on looters and an unwillingness to blame the federal government.

Haley Barbour credited the government workers who helped southern Mississippi to cope with the hurricane.

Haley Barbour was praised by the coast's citizens as a strong leader who can communicate calmly to the public, and provide "a central decision-making point for when things get balled up or go sideways, which they do", as Haley Barbour says.

Haley Barbour has been accused by Bloomberg News of personally profiting from Hurricane Katrina recovery.

Haley Barbour has received criticism from some Mississippi Democrats for his refusal to approve a bill to increase the cigarette tax and decrease the grocery tax passed by the Mississippi House of Representatives during his first term as governor.

Haley Barbour stated that the lack of revenue generated after the tax swap would quite possibly result in bankrupting the state government, which was already fragile due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Also, in his successful 2004 campaign, Haley Barbour ran on the platform that he would veto any tax increase.

In May 2009, Haley Barbour followed the State Tax Commission's recommendation and signed into law the state's first increase since 1985, from 18 cents to 68 cents per pack.

Haley Barbour announced on February 8,2007, that he would seek a second term as Governor of Mississippi.

Haley Barbour announced the beginning of his re-election campaign at a series of meetings across the state on February 12,2007.

Haley Barbour has faced considerable "in-state criticism for his approach to racial issues".

Haley Barbour subsequently joined in a petition for a court rehearing of the case that resulted in the original conviction being thrown out.

Haley Barbour proved instrumental in winning state legislative support for the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.

In November 2006, Haley Barbour proposed creating a state commission to develop plans for the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.

Haley Barbour declined to name a museum commission to oversee the final push for funding and construction.

The museum secured $20 million in funding from the Mississippi Legislature in April 2011 after Haley Barbour personally testified in favor of its funding.

In December 2010, Haley Barbour was interviewed by The Weekly Standard magazine.

In what was speculated to be an attempt at damage control just days after the interview, Haley Barbour suspended the prison sentences of Jamie and Gladys Scott, two African American women who each received two life sentences resulting from a 1993 mugging in which the two women allegedly conspired to steal what amounted to $11.

Haley Barbour has denied that there was any connection between the suspension of the Scott sisters' prison sentence and the controversy surrounding his Weekly Standard interview.

In September 2008, some Democrats accused Haley Barbour of trying to influence the outcome of the 2008 Senate race by placing the candidates at the bottom of the ballot.

Since Mississippi electoral law mandates the placing of federal elections at the top of the ballot, Haley Barbour was ordered by a circuit court to comply with the ballot laws.

On June 24,2009, Haley Barbour assumed the chairmanship of the Republican Governors Association, succeeding South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford.

On October 29,2009, Haley Barbour endorsed Texas Governor Rick Perry for the Texas Republican gubernatorial nomination.

In March 2011, Haley Barbour drew criticism for his role in allowing the release of a convicted killer eight years into a 20-year sentence.

In prior years, Haley Barbour had used his powers as governor to release five other killers.

Harry Bostick, whom Haley Barbour pardoned, had been convicted of DUI three times, and at the time of his pardon was being held for the DUI killing of Charity Smith.

Hood criticized Haley Barbour for failing to notify or speak with the families of victims before granting the pardons.

At a Christian Science Monitor breakfast in June 2012, Haley Barbour suggested that the Republican Party should take a more moderate approach to certain elements of its platform.

Haley Barbour was stopped with a loaded handgun in a briefcase by TSA security at the Medgar Evers airport in Jackson on January 2,2018 as he was boarding a flight for Washington, DC; he was briefly detained by airport police and said he would pay the associated fine.

Haley Barbour maintained a positive approval rating in his state during periods when he was governor.

In 2009, Haley Barbour was awarded the Honorary Patronage of the University Philosophical Society, Trinity College, Dublin.