11 challengers already have entered the race for Palazzo’s seat in Congress. Here’s the list.
Nearly a dozen candidates have entered the race to challenge U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo in 2022.
It may seem early to talk about the midterm elections, which aren’t until Nov. 8 of next year, but qualifying for the election will begin in January and Mississippi’s primary election is a little over six months away on June 7.
Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell announced in April — more than a year ahead of the primary — that he is running for Congress. State Sen. Brice Wiggins more recently became a candidate, entering the race on Nov. 5.
Palazzo, a Republican, defeated 10-term Democrat Rep. Gene Taylor in 2010. He’s not faced many well-funded candidates with name recognition since he took office, so it is unusual so many people plan to challenge him next year.
A spokeswoman told the Sun Herald Palazzo will run for re-election for a seventh term in Congress.
His time in Congress began as a member of the conservative Tea Party movement, and this year American Conservative Union Foundation ranked Palazzo as voting with conservative principles 92% of the time.
In March, the Office of Congressional Ethics revealed there is “substantial” evidence to suggest that Palazzo converted campaign finance funds for personal use, but he wasn’t charged.
The other candidates come from broad political and business backgrounds. Their name recognition must carry them beyond the Coast, since the 4th Congressional District in Mississippi covers from Laurel and Hattiesburg to the six counties in South Mississippi.
Six of the candidates are Republicans who potentially will face Palazzo in June.
Republican candidates
These Republican candidates have announced they will run for Palazzo’s seat next spring:
▪ Mike Ezell has served as Jackson County sheriff since 2014. Ezell said he would work to make sure still families live in a country that believes in public safety, law and order, individual rights, ethics and a free market economy that rewards hard work.
“I’m running for Congress because I believe in the American way of life, and my experience in law enforcement and as Jackson County sheriff has prepared me to go to Washington and fight back against those who seek to radically change this great country,” he said.
▪ Brice Wiggins is an attorney, former district attorney and state senator serving on the appropriations and education committees. Among his chief accomplishments in the Senate, Wiggins said, are strengthening child abuse laws, keeping millions of BP dollars in South Mississippi and creating a nationally ranked early education program.
Wiggins said he will push Congress to spend less instead of charging taxpayers more, protecting fundamental rights such as the Second Amendment and forcing Congress to address immigration policy instead of looking the other way.
▪ Clay Wagner is a retired executive at Hancock-Whitney Bank. He served on many community boards and said on his website his frustration that leaders weren’t stepping up and a desire to see Mississippi change for the better convinced him to run in the election.
Jobs for South Mississippi are his top priority, and he said he would promote conservative values, the Second Amendment rights, the military and communication. “I will set up communication portals, allow phone calls and host town halls to better serve the 4th District,” he said.
▪ Carl Boyanton, who lost to Palazzo in the 2020 primary and sparked the ethics investigation of Palazzo, is running again. Boyanton opened a produce stand in the French Market in New Orleans and later built it into Farmer Fresh Produce, with 100 workers in Picayune.
Among his priorities are term limits for the U.S. Congress, Senate and Supreme Court, anti-abortion and immigration. “My stance on immigration is that we need to build a wall, but with entry port,” he said. Immigrants provide labor that Americans don’t or won’t do, he said, such as picking fruits and vegetables.
▪ Raymond Brooks has worked as a police officer in South Mississippi for nearly 20 years.
Among the issues he sees as most important are funding police, protecting the unborn, creating jobs, term limits and immigration. He said the “open border” policies “are dangerous to our national defense, our personal safety and are harmful to the hundreds of thousands of immigrants who are currently on a legal path to citizenship.”
▪ Louis Hook, no information available.
Democrat candidates
Democrats who have announced they are running in the primary election for Congress are:
Johnny DuPree — former Hattiesburg mayor who ran for governor in 2011.
David Sellers — A pastor from South Mississippi
Other parties
▪ Graham Hudson (Independent)
▪ Aaron Lee (Independent), an information technology professional who has worked for the federal government
▪ Alden Johnson (Libertarian Party), a firefighter and emergency medical technician
This story was originally published November 29, 2021 at 5:50 AM.
