Bill Waller in The Jackson Clarion-Ledger

On Homeland Security: Served in Army National Guard & then on state Supreme Court

On Technology: Fixing roads and bridges so far? A raindrop in a puddle

Waller, meanwhile, has long avoided partisan politics because of his time on the Mississippi Supreme Court. He left the court in January. He's sought to portray himself as a steady, more traditional Republican candidate. He's said he's not interested in courting Trump and has a better chance of beating Democrat Jim Hood, the current attorney general, in the November election. Waller's late father served as governor from 1972 to 1976.

Despite their contrasting backgrounds, Foster and Waller came together on a number of issues. Both agreed not enough has been done to fix the state's roads and bridges, with Waller saying a special legislative session to address the problem last summer had only been a "raindrop" in a problem the size of a "puddle."