A look at the 4 House and 1 U.S. Senate races

The Mississippi primaries will be conducted Tuesday, with four U.S. House races and one U.S. Senate race.

The Clarion Ledger and the Commercial Appeal sent questionnaires to each candidate. Below are their responses:

Congressional District 1

The Democratic primary in Mississippi will feature two candidates vying for their party’s nomination in the Mississippi District 1 Congressional race.

Either Matthew “Bronco” Williams or Diane Black will face incumbent Republican U.S. Rep Trent Kelly in the Nov. 5 general election.

Questionnaires were sent to each candidate. Below are their responses.

Matthew ‘Bronco’ Williams

City/Town of Residence: Hernando Age: 26

Occupation: Writer and educator Education: Graduated from Lewisburg High School; studied theater at Northwest Mississippi Community College, and creative writing and journalism on a pre-law track at Arkansas State University

Immediate family: Parents, grandparents and two younger siblings

Have you ever served as an elected official? No

Why are you running?

I’m running for U.S. House this year because our representatives no longer represent us. I, like many other Americans, am tired of our representatives only looking out for the wealthy and elites while none of the problems we have get fixed and the regular people get left out. What we have isn’t working, and we need Something Different.

What are some of the issues you would like to address if you are elected? How would you like to resolve those issues?

I feel like by improving the quality of education at all levels and in all settings, many other issues would be solved as a result, like job shortages, healthcare issues, and democratic backsliding to name a few. I’m additionally passionate about issues pertaining to conservation and environmentalism, as well as fighting corruption in the United States Government and protecting Americans’ constitutional rights.

Diane Black

City/town

Branch

Age: 68

Occupation: Owner of The Hair Fashions salon in Olive Branch

Education: Graduated from the Enrii School of Beauty Cultures in 1981

Immediate family: Her husband, James O. Black Jr., died on Nov. 13, 2022; five children James Bryant Black, Jason DeCarlos Black, Jeremy Jermaine Black, Jamie Terrell Black and Whitney Sherell Black; three grandchildren Jason DeCarlos Black Jr., Joshua James Black and Jaxon Mustin

Have you ever served as an elected official? No

Why are you running?

I’m running to be a yes vote in Congress for the Biden Administration to save our democracy.

What are some of the issues you would like to address if you are elected? How would you like to resolve those issues?

Our Democracy is on the line and I am willing to represent Mississippi in the House of Representatives. If elected, I plan to vote in favor of supporting President Biden’s excellent policies and thriving economy. President Biden’s record of accomplishment for the American people is unparalleled. The BidenHarris administration is to be commended. I plan to be a yes vote for Democratic plans and policies that are endorsed by the Biden Administration.

Trent Kelly

of

residence:

Trent Kelly’s campaign did not respond to requests for information.

— Jacob Wilt, Commercial Appeal

Congressional District 2

The District two race will feature three candidates gunning for the Republican Nomination Tuesday.

Whoever wins among Taylor Turcotte, Andrew Smith and Ron Eller will face off against Bennie Thompson in the general election come November.

Bennie Thompson

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Incumbent Bennie Thompson’s campaign did not submit answers by time of publication.

— Grant McLaughlin, Clarion Ledger

Taylor Turcotte

City/town of residence: Jackson Age: 52

Occupation: I own a small advertising agency that focuses on the advertising and marketing needs of small businesses.

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing and a specialty in Pharmaceutical sales from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Immediate family (spouse, children, grandchildren): Husband, Jeff

Have you ever served as an elected official? If so, what role, when and where? I have never run for or served as an elected official.

Why are you running?

Because I live in Jackson and nothing will change no matter what we do at a lower level until Bennie Thompson isn’t the one holding the strings. I’m not seeing any candidates reaching out to voters who have the ability to vote Bennie out because their focus is exclusively on Republicans. I am reaching out to conservatives, both Republican and Democrat. I believe that the values of the everyday average Mississippian who is a conservative Democrat align much more with the values of today’s GOP than the liberal elite of the Democratic Party. And Bennie Thompson is the epitome of a Liberal Democrat elite.

What are some of the issues you would like to address if you are elected? How would you like to resolve those issues?

Crime in the younger generation because parents can’t control the kids because they walk out the door and the cops can’t control the kids because they all have cellphones with cameras. Kids then taunt cops because anything caught on video is always misconstrued.

Andrew Smith

City/town of residence: Jackson Age: 27

Occupation: Insurance agency owner

Education: graduated from Mississippi School for Math and Science in 2014 and from Mississippi State University in 2017.

Immediate family (spouse, children, grandchildren): My only remaining family are my grandparents, Annie Laura (Ann) and Allen Ray Edwards of Foxworth, Mississippi, (where I’m originally from).

Why are you running?

I want to be a champion, fighter and watchdog for the people of the district. I want to clean the place up, put asphalt on the roads, build the pumps, bring in jobs, secure our southern border and make the district a cleaner, safer, better place to live, work and play for all.

What are some of the issues you would like to address if you are elected? How would you like to resolve those issues? I’m running on the 10 R’s: 1 Restore Economic Dominance 2 Rejuvenate Agriculture

3 Revive and Rethink Healthcare 4 Restructure Education

5 Rebuild, Restore, and Reimagine Infrastructure

6 Reduce Crime

7 Reform Taxes

8 Reinforce our Southern Border 9 Restore Rights

10 Rip Apart the Deep State

Ron Eller

Eller did not complete his candidate questionnaire by time of publication.

Congressional District 3

Michael Guest

Incumbent Michael Guest’s campaign did not respond to requests for information.

Guest is running unopposed this year. His only challenger, Democrat Jarvis Gordan, had previously qualified, but he withdrew from the race in late February.

— Grant McLaughlin, Clarion Ledger

Congressional District 4

Mike Ezell

City/town of residence: Pascagoula Age: 64

Occupation: Incumbent Republican congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives for Mississippi’s 4th District.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of

Southern Mississippi; graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers’ Training Academy.

Have you ever served as an elected official? If so, what role, when and where? Yes, prior to serving the 4th District of Mississippi, I was elected sheriff of Jackson County.

Immediate family: Wife, Suzette Ezell; daughter, Amy, and son-in-law, Coby Dennis; and granddaughter, Sydney.

Why are you running? I care about this country. I love my country and I love my state of Mississippi. I feel like in my 42 years as a law enforcement officer and chief executive of the sheriff ’s office and the experience that I have, I can bring with me to Washington so I can better protect and serve the community.

What are some of the issues you would like to address if you are reelected? How would you like to resolve those issues? We need to continue to hold this administration accountable for the debacle that is going on at the southern border. We need to continue to fight the regulations of the EPA jamming down the businessmen and women of this country. We need to reduce red tape, fight the bureaucrats in Washington and reduce taxes to make a better economy.

Carl Boyanton

City/town of residence: Diamondhead

Age: 65

Occupation: Produce broker. Education: Some college.

Have you ever served as an elected official? If so, what role, when and where? Never served as an elected official.

Immediate family: Wife, Heidi; two daughters, Megan and Melissa.

Why are you running? Mike Ezell lied to us. He campaigned on not voting for Kevin McCarthy and then voted for him 16 times. He campaigned on cutting spending then voted for the debt ceiling increase of $2 trillion and counting. He voted against Marjorie Taylor Greene’s amendment that would reinstate pilots that refused the COVID vaccine. Not Mississippi values.

What are some of the issues you would like to address if you are elected? How would you like to resolve those issues? The border: I would push to use the budget to make this administration close the border. Republicans voted with Democrats on every budget bill to keep funding the government. They had five to six times last year they could have used the budget to make Biden close the border. The budget: I will push to have us go to zero-base budgeting where everything in the budget has to be reauthorized. This alone could balance our budget. Crime: I would work to support our law enforcement and firefighters by trying to take the money we are wasting on illegal immigrants and find a way to augment their pay. They put their lives on the line for us every day for very little money. Veterans: One of my main focuses will be helping our heroes who are being neglected right now. The VA has to be revamped and the money has to be used on our veterans and not the administration.

Michael McGill

City/town of residence: Long Beach Age: 43

Occupation: Retired Army combat veteran

Education: Bachelor’s degree business management

Have you ever served as an elected official? If so, what role, when and where? No.

Immediate family: Girlfriend, Kristen Henry; two sons, Michael and Remington.

Why are you running? I’m running for Congress, because I want to put our country first. I have had enough after serving 20 years in the military and witnessing countless mistakes. Our community deserves better. It’s time to cut through the nonsense and the red tape and ensure every American has a voice. No more pushing party agendas, no more empty promises. Just a realistic vision for our country.

What are some of the issues you would like to address if you are elected? Human trafficking; fentanyl epidemic; education; veterans health; mental health; homelessness; affordable health care; insurance costs; and infrastructure.

Democrat

Craig Raybon

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Craig Raybon is the lone Democrat seeking office in the 4th District. He is included on the Democratic primary ballot and will be on the Nov. 5 ballot against the winner of the Republican primary since he is running unopposed in the primary.

So far, no information has been provided on the candidate. The Hattiesburg American has not been able to make contact with Raybon’s campaign.

— Lici Beveridge, Clarion Ledger

U.S. Senate

Ty Pinkins

The lone Democratic challenger for one of Mississippi’s United States Senate seats, Ty Pinkins, 50, is seeking his first stint in elected office.

According to his website, Pinkins was born and raised in Rolling Fork. He joined and was an active duty member of the U.S. Army for 21 years, serving three tours in Iraq and receiving the Bronze Star.

A civil rights lawyer, Pinkins received a law degree from Georgetown University before moving back to the Mississippi Delta to advocate “on behalf of community members in some of Mississippi’s most underserved communities by helping community members navigate the justice system.”

Key issues Pinkins’ campaign is focused on include, criminal justice reform, access to affordable healthcare, education reform throughout Mississippi and the nation, ensuring affordable housing, voter suppression, investing in sustainable energy and economic development for all Mississippians.

Roger Wicker

Longtime Mississippi Senator and Republican incumbent Roger Wicker, 72, is looking to secure his fourth term as a United States Senator representing Mississippi. The Pontotoc native was first elected as a senator in 2007.

According to his website, Wicker is the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He is a senior member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and served as the chairman of the committee in the previous two congresses. Other committee assignments include the Environment and Public Works Committee and the Rules and Administration Committee.

Before serving as a U.S. Senator, Wicker was elected seven times to represent Mississippi’s First Congressional District in the House of Representatives — starting in 1994. He also served as a state senator on behalf of Lee and Pontotoc counties.

Key issues Wicker is campaigning on include protecting the U.S. border by building a wall, second amendment gun rights, economic growth, the anti-abortion movement and increased military spending. Mississippians have most likely seen his television ad denouncing U.S. President Joe Biden’s economic policies, likening it to socialism.

“As a U.S. Senator for Mississippi, I work hard every day on behalf of my constituents. I want our nation to remain the strongest, freest, and most prosperous place on earth. I will always stand for policies that expand our economy, protect our homeland, defend our Constitution, and improve the quality of life for all Americans,” his website reads.

A veteran of the Air Force, Wicker is married to his wife, Gayle. Together they have three children: Margaret, Caroline and McDaniel. He has eight grandchildren.

Ghannon Burton

This will be Ghannon Burton’s first time running for elected office. He retired from the Marine Corps in December 2021 after serving 30 years, according to his campaign website.

“He finished his career at the Pentagon and retired for many reasons, including; vaccine mandates, the ‘wokeness’ that he saw politicizing our service members, and the stolen election. Further, he found it clear that there was a lack of critical thinking in senior leaders. This is in addition to their willingness to go with plans and policies that put service members at unnecessary risk,” his website states.

Key issues Burton is campaigning on include securing the border and stopping inflation.

Burton is also focused on restoring the military, specifically putting an end to “diversity, equity and inclusion” policies promoted by the Biden administration. He is also against teaching critical race theory.

“We must restore our military to a

color blind Meritocracy where all service members from the most Senior General to the newest enlistee are judged on the potential for service and promoted based on their God given talents, character, and ability to serve and not the color of their skin,” his website states.

Lastly, one of Burton's campaign issues is to “stop weaponizing government.” He believes “conservatives, parents, (and) devoutly religious people”

SPRING INTO SAVINGS

– PLUS –

LUXSTONE® WALLS are being targeted by government programs and “left wing violence.”

“It is clear our justice system is being used to enforce a political ideology. This must come to an immediate end. We will defund any agency or program which is being used to promote a political agenda. We must have equal justice under the law,”

Dan Eubanks

Dan Eubanks, 53, is currently serving in his second term in the Mississippi House of Representatives. A Republican, Eubanks represents District 25 in

North Mississippi.

A resident of Desoto County for 35 years, Eubanks was a businessman then pastor before starting his career in politics. He currently serves as director of recreation and local outreach, as well as the interim campus pastor for Advent Presbyterian Church in Tennessee.

Eubanks is a founding member and Secretary/Treasurer of the Mississippi Freedom Caucus and is a member of the Desoto County GOP Executive committee, Desoto Republican Club, Tate County Republican Club, Desoto County Conservative Coalition, Legislative Sportsman Caucus and NRA.

Key issues Eubanks is campaigning on include First and Second Amendment protections, the anti-abortion movement, job creation, religious freedoms and education reform. His website is full of quick videos on his positions on a list of topics.

Notable legislation Eubanks has authored during his time in office include the Mississippi Religious Freedom bill and the Mississippi Tax Freedom Act of 2022. He also co-authored the 15 Week Abortion Ban bill in 2019, saying it “was ultimarely responsible for the historic overturning of Roe v. Wade.”

— Charlie Drape, Clarion Ledger