Mississippi will have one congressional primary runoff on April 2, which means in-person absentee will be open for the next two Saturdays across District 2.
The race, which features Republicans Ron Eller and Andrew Smith, will put the winner head-to-head on Nov. 5 against longtime Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson. Thompson, who has become a brand name in Washington, is seeking a 16th term.
Eller and Smith, on the other hand, are both looking to break into the political scene as neither has ever held office. After failing to secure the Republican nomination back in 2022, this is the closest Eller has been to going up against Thompson. The West Virginia native who has called Mississippi home for over two decades is a small business owner and works as a cardiothoracic physician assistant at St. Dominic’s Hospital in Jackson. He’s running on what he calls the “E-3 Plan,” which prioritizes education, economics, and energy.
“When we look at education, we need to be teaching people about the greatness of America. We need to get rid of this woke agenda. We need to be training that next group of tradesmen, doctors, lawyers, and businessmen,” Eller said. “We need to improve the economics of not only the entire state of Mississippi but the Delta … We need to be using all of our resources and not hamstringing the people and the American economy for a pie-in-the-sky dream.”
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Smith, an insurance agent by trade, has been a presence on the campaign trail visiting all 28 counties plus the parts of Hinds and Madison that encompass District 2. His biggest concerns are utilizing the Mississippi River to boost tourism, creating jobs, bettering infrastructure, and solving the ever-lingering Yazoo Pumps Project.
“You’ve got to build the pumps in order to build economic development in that region. Nobody’s going to go put millions of dollars into somewhere that’s going to get flooded, right?” Smith said. “So, talking to [voters], they want jobs, they want the roads, and they want somebody that’s going to care about them.”
For residents of District 2 who either voted in the Republican primary on March 12 or did not cast a ballot during the primary but want to in the run-off, circuit clerk offices across the district will be open from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on both March 23 and March 30. The offices will also be open on weekdays leading up to the election.
Those who voted in the Democratic primary are not allowed to vote in the run-off.
