With Election Day looming, Mississippi has all four of its U.S. House seats on the ballot with three incumbents being challenged and another running unopposed. Here’s a quick rundown of who’s running.
District 1
Republican incumbent Trent Kelly is being challenged by Democrat Dianne Black. 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 over 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’s focused on economic development and strengthening national defense.
Black, a small business owner from Olive Branch, is running as someone who will stand up for reproductive rights and access to affordable healthcare.
District 2
Mississippi’s longest-serving member of Congress, Bennie Thompson, is looking to keep his seat for a 16th term. 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 is being challenged by Ron Eller. The Republican recently endorsed by Gov. Tate Reeves is running on what he calls the “E-3 Plan,” which prioritizes education, economics, and energy. Eller is a military veteran and physician assistant at St. Dominic’s Hospital in Jackson. After failing to secure the GOP nomination in 2022, this is the first time Eller has had a chance to run against Thompson.
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.
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 is Mississippi’s newest face in Congress after winning a seat in 2022. 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 is being challenged by Democrat Craig Raybon. While Ezell is opposed to abortion, that has been one of Raybon’s main talking points. Raybon also wants to increase the minimum wage, lower prescription drug prices, and expand vocational training programs.
District 4 is powered by the Hattiesburg area and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, encompassing a bulk of the southern part of the state.
Other races on the ballot
Outside of the U.S. House, Mississippians will get a chance to cast ballots for the White House, U.S. Senate, and various state courts. Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump headline nine duos available to residents to vote for. Incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Wicker is being challenged by Democrat Ty Pinkins, the party’s nominee for Mississippi secretary of state in 2023. Four of the nine seats on the Mississippi Supreme Court will be on the ballot, with two of the races contested. One of three Mississippi Courts of Appeals seats on this year’s ballot is being contested.
Polls will be open statewide on Tuesday, Nov. 5, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. A sample ballot can be found here.
