What to know about Congressional primary election in MS: Meet candidates, where to vote
Only one race is on the ballot in Tuesday’s election for the U.S. Representative seat in Mississippi’s Fourth Congressional District.
The district covers all six counties of South Mississippi and goes north to the Pine Belt region and Hattiesburg.
Who is running?
Cong. Steven Palazzo has six Republican challengers in the June 7 primary election and two Democrats are on the primary ballot.
The winners of those two races will face each other and a Libertarian candidate in the general election on Nov. 8.
With so many candidates on the Republican ballot, a run-off election will be necessary on June 28 unless one candidate gets more than 50% of the vote.
These are the Republican candidates:
Palazzo was elected to Congress in 2010 and serves on the House Appropriations Committee. His website says he believes in limited government, a strong national defense and conservative solutions for the country.
Brice Wiggins is an attorney in Pascagoula, former prosecutor and state senator. His key issues are to cut taxes, pass a balanced budget amendment to reign in D.C. spending, defend the Second Amendment and secure the borders.
Mike Ezell is sheriff of Jackson County. He supports law enforcement, protecting the Second Amendment and securing the border and is pro life.
Clay Wagner is a retired senior vice president at Hancock Whitney Bank. Jobs for South Mississippi are his priority, along with over taxation, the economy and protecting conservative freedoms and the border.
Carl Boyanton ran against Palazzo in 2020 and built his company, Farmer Fresh Produce, from a farm stand to a top supplier. His priorities are enacting term limits of 12 years maximum for Congress, and pushing for a balanced budget amendment.
Raymond Brooks is a 20-year officer with the Gulfport Police Department. He advocates for Right to Life, finishing the wall at the Southern border, Second Amendment rights, law and order, term limits for Congress and national defense.
Kidron Peterson has worked at C&C Machine for 22 years and served in the Army Reserve for eight years. He wants to see state control of the education system, to hold government officials accountable and to make it illegal for foreigners to own American land.
Democrat candidates are:
Johnny DuPree was mayor of Hattiesburg from 2001 to 2017 and ran for governor and secretary of state. His priorities are to rebuild the economy and to make government more accessible and accountable to the people
David Sellers is a minister who provides spiritual guidance for people in recovery from addiction, trauma and other mental health ailments. He advocates for justice reform, education, raising the minimum wage and paid family and medical leave for all workers.
Libertarian candidate is:
Alden Patrick Johnson is a Petal firefighter and EMT. He supports reducing the cost of healthcare, expanding nuclear energy and eliminating the state and national income tax.
When and where to vote
The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voters must show photo ID at the polls or cast and affadavit battle and return with identification.
Residents who want to verify they are registered to vote can do so online through the Secretary of State website.
Locations of polling places and other information also are available from the city clerks’ offices in the three Coast counties:
Hancock County
Circuit Clerk Kendra Necaise
kendra.necaise@co.hancock.ms.us
Harrison County
Circuit Clerk Connie Ladner
Search precinct by name or address in Harrison County: http://harrison2.co.harrison.ms.us/voting_precincts/
Jackson County
Circuit Clerk Randy Carney
