Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., said Thursday that the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion may not be Ronnie Musgrove’s yet.

In his weekly telephone press conference, Lott said the vote count in the gubernatorial race may yet swing Parker’s way. &uot;There are thousands of absentee ballots yet to be counted,&uot; Lott said. &uot;It may be enough to change the present rankings.&uot;

Lott said he would advise everyone involved with the voting process to &uot;keep calm and don’t make rash statements.&uot;

Lott expressed some concern about the constitutional process by which the next governor may be officially determined. &uot;It’s an interesting civics question,&uot; Lott said. &uot;If it goes to house, would legislators be inclined to vote Democratic whether (Musgrove’s) in lead or not?&uot;

One theory that former Governor William Winter holds, he said, is that the house would vote for the candidate with the largest popular vote. But again, Lott said, that’s only theory.

&uot;We’ve never done this before. I don’t know quite how it would work.&uot;

On the term limits initiative defeated Tuesday, Lott said another group may take up that banner and bring it up again.

&uot;But Mississippi has already defeated that question twice,&uot; he said.

&uot;I’ve always held the belief that we do have term limits – and it’s called elections.&uot;