Republican races in three of four congressional districts in Mississippi were too close to call in the June 7 primaries. A runoff is set for June 28 to determine who will be on the ballot in November to represent the state in Washington, D.C.
Fighting to keep a foothold in their districts are incumbents Michael Guest, in District 3 and Steven Palazzo in District 4.
The third race is in District 2, where the winner of the runoff will face longtime Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson in the general election.
June 7 primaries:Mississippi election results are in. Well, kind of.
Previously:Mississippi Primary election 2022: Secretary of State wants ‘as many people to vote as possible’
With seven Republicans on the ticket, a runoff in District 4 was inevitable, since it would be difficult for any one candidate to reach the required 50% plus one votes.
The unofficial results show Palazzo, who had 31.6% or 16,107 votes in the primary, had a 6.5% lead over Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell, who garnered 25.1% or 12,809 votes in the primary. It was a close race on election day, with retired banker Clay Wager finishing with a close third, receiving 22.1% or 11,262 of the total ballots cast.
Just two days after the primary, Palazzo challenged Ezell to a debate.
“Voters deserve to hear directly from both candidates and compare our records before the runoff,” Palazzo said in a statement.
Cassidy had a slight lead over Guest, who garnered 22,592 or 46.9% of the district’s vote to Cassidy’s 22,879 or 47.5% of the vote.
The only Republican to win in his district’s primary is District 1 Rep. Trent Kelly. He will face Democrat Dianne Black in November.
The winner of the District 3 runoff will face Democrat Shuwaski Young, who had no opposition in the primary. The District 4 runoff winner will face former Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree and Libertarian Alden Johnson in the November race.
Read more about the candidates in each of the three Republican runoff races:
District 2
Republican Ronald Eller grew up in a working-class, single-parent family in West Virginia. The married father of two served in the Army for 20 years, during which he worked his way up to a commissioned officer rank. He is a physician assistant who works in heart surgery at St. Dominic’s in Jackson. Eller of Vicksburg is founder of a company that manufactures hunting products.
The three main areas of concern for Eller include education, economic growth and all forms of energy production. He also supports gun rights and stronger border security and is against abortion, except when it jeopardizes the life of the mother.
Republican Brian Flowers is a North Carolina native and Navy veteran. He and his wife and three children moved in 2014 to Clinton. Flowers works at Grand Gulf Nuclear Station.
Flowers is a firm believer in the Constitution and plans to work on such issues as educational progress, economic stability, election integrity and energy independence. He also plans to work on restoring state sovereignty and securing the country’s borders.
District 3
Michael Guest, a longtime resident of Rankin County, is seeking a third term in the House. The married father of two serves on the Homeland Security Committee and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, including several subcommittees for each. Guest also was appointed to the House Ethics Committee. Before elected to Congress, he served 11 years as District Attorney for Madison and Rankin counties.
Guest’s issues include supporting conservative values, lower taxes, fewer regulations and promoting our Constitutional freedoms and liberties including the right to bear arms. He supports the agricultural community, stronger border security, law enforcement and those who serve in the military.
Republican Michael Cassidy was in high school when terrorists attacked New York City and Washington, D.C., in 2001. He grew up in Arlington, Virginia, where he said he could see “smoking rubble” for months after the attacks, according to his website. He joined the Navy and earned his aviator wings. His service included two stints at Naval Air Station Meridian. He retired from active duty but continues to serve in the Navy Reserves.
Cassidy’s platform includes finishing the border wall, ensuring election integrity, supporting term limits, energy independence and the military, and banning transgender surgeries and puberty blockers in children under 18, abortions and critical race theory.
District 4
Incumbent Republican Steven Palazzo of Gulfport was first elected in 2010. He previously served in the Mississippi House of Representatives and is a member of the Mississippi Army National Guard. He is an accountant who owned his own accounting firm before being elected to Congress. The father of three serves on the House Appropriations Committee.
Palazzo supports gun rights, law enforcement, protecting the unborn, border control and stronger national security. He wants to cut taxes and “reduce the dangerous national debt.” Palazzo wants to make cuts to the “unlimited entitlement programs” and curb other government spending.
Republican Mike Ezell of Pascagoula followed in his father’s footsteps, working in law enforcement, including his current position as Jackson County sheriff, a post he has held for eight years. The married father of one worked in law enforcement while earning a degree in criminal justice at the University of Southern Mississippi.
Ezell wants to rebuild support for law enforcement, strengthen the nation’s borders, protect gun rights and improve the economy. He is pro-life and wants to end taxpayer-funded abortions.
Do you have a story to share? Contact Lici Beveridge at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge.
