Siding with Attorney General Jim Hood, a circuit judge ruled Monday that Gov. Haley Barbour exceeded his constitutional authority when he set a special election for November to replace former U.S. Sen. Trent Lott.
But the issue is far from settled, and Barbour made note of that in his response to Hinds County Circuit Judge Bobby DeLaughter’s ruling.
“When I set the special U.S. Senate election for Nov. 4, 2008, I felt very strongly that it was the legal and appropriate action under the U.S. and Mississippi Constitutions and state law,” Barbour said in a statement. “Nothing in this decision by the Hinds County Circuit Court changes that belief. As I have said all along, the final decision in this case will be made by the Mississippi Supreme Court, and I look forward to that decision.”