JACKSON -- Democratic Ocean Springs Mayor Connie Moran, who appears to be a very smart and capable politician, ran a lackluster campaign for state treasurer.

She was defeated on Nov 8 by a sizable margin by state Personnel Board Executive Director Lynn Fitch, a Republican.

Moran has at least one distinction. She is the only statewide candidate -- as far as I can tell -- to vocally oppose what was dubbed the personhood initiative, which would have defined life as beginning at fertilization.

The citizen-sponsored initiative was defeated by almost as wide a margin as Moran. Moran expressed her opposition -- in response to a question -- before the surge of opposition from medical groups and religious leaders  that led to the proposal's defeat.

Gov. Haley Barbour, who is not running for any office this year, sounded as if he opposed the initiative, though, he ended up voting for it. But even on election day, after he had voted for it, he said on a CNN show he had concerns about the initiative.