Incumbents have officially mounted a clean sweep in Mississippi’s U.S. House of Representatives races.
On Tuesday, familiar faces in Congress walked away victorious, providing a semblance of continuity in Washington D.C. amid an expected change of many faces in the federal legislative chamber.
District 1
Republican incumbent Trent Kelly overcame Democratic challenger Dianne Black. The election was called in Kelly’s favor at 8:59 p.m. with just under 60% of votes counted. The incumbent had around a 36-point lead when the race was decided.
Black, a perennial candidate who’s previously sought and lost races for local and federal offices, fell to Kelly by 46 points (76,913 votes) in the 2022 general election for the seat representing northeast Mississippi. In 2023, she challenged Republican state Rep. Bill Kinkade for the District 52 seat in Mississippi’s House of Representatives but lost by more than 20 points.
Kelly is a member of the Mississippi Army National Guard and former district attorney who has been in the U.S. House since winning a 2015 special election. He serves on the Armed Services Committee and Agriculture Committee, among others. According to Kelly’s camp, he will enter a new term in office focused on economic development and strengthening national defense.
District 2
Mississippi’s longest-serving member of Congress, Bennie Thompson, has officially earned a 16th term. Thompson had a 19-point lead when his race was called at 10:07 p.m. with 65% of votes counted.
The Democrat, who increased his national name identity through his work as chairman of the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, is also the ranking member on the Homeland Security Committee. Thompson is a former Bolton mayor and Hinds County supervisor who was first elected to the U.S. House in 1993.
Thompson was unsuccessfully challenged by Ron Eller, a military veteran and physician assistant at St. Dominic’s Hospital in Jackson. After failing to secure the GOP nomination in 2022, this was the first time Eller has had a chance to run against Thompson.
The longtime lawmaker is looking to secure American democracy by ridding it of bad actors looking to usurp the will of voters. He has also championed equal opportunities for marginalized communities to thrive financially.
District 2 encompasses much of the Delta region and all land along the Mississippi River. Its main urban area is Jackson apart from the eastern portion of the capital city which falls in District 3.
District 3
After being forced into a GOP runoff in 2022, Michael Guest drew no challengers on either side this election cycle. Guest, a former district attorney, was elected to the U.S. House in 2018 and now serves as chairman of the Ethics Committee and vice chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.
He has been keen on securing the southern border between the U.S. and Mexico, lowering taxes, and maintaining integrity in government.
District 3 covers central portions of the state and stretches from the Louisiana border in the west to the Alabama border in the east. Its largest cities are Meridian, Starkville, and Pearl.
District 4
Republican Mike Ezell remains Mississippi’s newest face in Congress but is now poised for another term after an initial two-year stint under his belt. The race was called at 8:53 p.m. with a little over 40% of votes counted. Ezell had a convincing 45-point advantage.
Ezell, a former sheriff in Jackson County who had 42 years of law enforcement experience before running for federal office, has worked to get his feet under him in Washington. He serves on the Homeland Security Committee, alongside Guest and Thompson, and the Transportation Committee.
Ezell was challenged by Democrat Craig Raybon. The congressman’s top priorities are to secure the Southern border between the U.S. and Mexico and ease the economic burden plaguing south Mississippians.
District 4 is powered by the Hattiesburg area and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, encompassing a bulk of the southern part of the state.
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