DuPree, Bryant Talk Campaign Cash

State records show the men who want to be Mississippi's next governor have raised millions of dollars in campaign cash.

In our special report "Tracking Campaign Cash", we examine where that money is coming from.

The two men vying to replace Governor Haley Barbour are Republican Phil Bryant and Democrat Johnny DuPree.  Bryant has raised more than $3 million. DuPree has raised nearly $1 million.

Prior to interviewing DuPree and Bryant, we asked voters what they'd like to ask the candidates about their campaign contributions.

Everyone we spoke with wants to know: with these contributions, are there promises that come from you?

"I make one promise," says DuPree. "Good government."

Bryant says he makes no promises: "Oh, of course not. People have the freedom to get involved into the political process, and they do so by contributions."

Besides experience and knowledge, candidates need cash.

"It certainly helps," says Bryant. "You've got to run commercials; you've got to advertise."

Johnny DuPree believes you can spend that cash on things other than commercials.

"Between the primary and the runoff was three weeks. We had no TV," says the Democratic candidate.

He believes that a well-trained staff and dedicated volunteers are key.

"I cannot overstate how important they are and how blessed we are in this campaign to have people from almost every county in the state," says DuPree.

But there are questions about where Johnny DuPree's campaign cash is coming from.  $9,900 from 17 contributors in the state of Michigan.

We asked him: why so many from that part of the country?

"Because I went up there.  I'm going back again.  Because I have a friend up there who is a classmate, who is a radio talk show host.  She's helping to push my campaign," DuPree tells us.

But why do folks in Michigan care about politics in Mississippi?

"Because whether you know it or not, there's a bunch of people from Mississippi that live in Detroit," DuPree says. "Mississippi is not a strong state when it comes to resources. And so God has allowed me to have a friend that lives somewhere else that believes in my candidacy."

Bryant has also received money from outside of Mississippi.  His top out-of-state donor is a Louisiana company called Environmental Tech Sales Inc.  They contributed $5,000 to his campaign.

"If they're making a contribution, they're invested in this state.  So I want to go to them and say 'you invested in our campaign, and we were successful' - and I think we will be - 'and so we'd like to talk to you about bringing your business here,'" says Bryant.

We asked both candidates if they know their top donors.  They do.  For Bryant, it's $250,000 from the Republican Governors Association.  For DuPree, it's $92,000 from the Democratic Governors Association.  We took it one step further and asked if they know their top corporate donors.

DuPree: "I don't really know."

Bryant: "I don't know just now. I should."

For DuPree, it's $25,000 from a Hattiesburg company called Channel Control Merchants LLC.  For Bryant, it's $27,500 from M.G. Dyess Pipeline Company.

"I'm sure Mayor DuPree is just as happy with his donors as I am," says Bryant.

The two candidates may not agree on how they'll handle many of the key issues Mississippi is facing, but they do agree on one thing.  As a final question, we asked both candidates: "What do you love about Mississippi?"

Dupree: "Everything."

Bryant: "Oh, everything."

The two candidates will spend the next week-and-a-half on the road campaigning for your vote.  To the un-decided voter, both offer the same advice: educate yourself on their platform before you make your decision.