MS Congress candidates running on similar issues

Even as Mississippians are set to head to the polls to vote in the Democratic and Republican primaries Tuesday, March 12, it is already looking as if congressional challengers have less than great odds to beat out current seat holders.

According to multiple sources who spoke to the Clarion Ledger, the media frenzies that engulf highly contested and well-followed elections simply has not happened in the four contested congressional races this year.

“As far as the primaries, I just haven’t seen anything that would make me believe that we’ll see tightly contested races,” Dallas Breen, executive director of the Stennis Institute at Mississippi State University said.

Conversely, the candidates competing for nominations in the primary this year mostly have similar views, and only two of the contested races contain challengers for the incumbents to compete against before the general election — those being Republican Roger Wicker’s Senate seat and Republican Mike Ezell in District 4.

Subjects that could make or break a campaign this year include issues focusing around the average cost of living, job creation and other forms of economic development, Breen said.

“The biggest single issue tends to be economically based,” Breen said. “So that is inflation, cost of gas, cost of living. We have one of the lowest per capita incomes and household incomes rates in the nation. So when, when it’s more costly to live, it hits the average Mississippi and harder than in other states.”

Tangentially, Breen said issues on the national and state stage such as border security, health rights and Medicaid expansion are also on voters’

minds as they choose who to vote for this primary.

Where do candidates stack up on the issues?

In the Senate race, Wicker faces two Republican challengers on Tuesday.

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

Dan Eubanks, who is currently serving his second in the Mississippi House of Representatives, has been an outspoken proponent of job creation in the state.

During his time on the campaign trail and in the state House, Eubanks has been outspoken on the fact that he wants to make sure abortion rights never return to Mississippi. He also filed several bills this year to strengthen the state’s abortion laws, but they all died in committee.

Eubanks has said he supports economic development throughout the state, but he did vote against two major economic development incentive packages that translated into more than $12 billion in corporate investment in the state.

Wicker’s other opponent, Ghannon Burton, who has never before run for public office, is running on the promise he will work on border security and try to bring down inflation.

Whoever wins that primary will head off against Democratic challenger Ty Pinkins, who is running on 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.

District 1

In District 1, Republican Incumbent Trent Kelly will face two Democrats: Mathew Williams and Diane Black.

Kelly, who does not have a primary opponent this year, serves on the House Armed Services Committee, serving as Chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee. Kelly also serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, serving as chairman of the Defense Intelligence and Overhead Architecture Subcommittee. Kelly also serves on the House Agriculture Committee.

According to his website, Kelly is committed to economic development, stopping Medicaid expansion and working on national defense.

Black, who is running for office for the first time, is running on the promise to help maintain and build Democratic numbers in Congress. She also plans to be a pro-Biden congressperson and support Democratic leadership.

Williams, who is also running for the first time, told the Clarion Ledger he is running on the promise to improve the quality of education and healthcare issues.

District 2

In District 2, Democratic incumbent Bennie Thompson is running against three Republican challengers, Taylor Turcotte, Andrew Smith and Ron Eller.

Thompson, who has held his seat since the 1990s, is running again and hopes to focus open nutrition access and food security for the people of his district, as well as on helping to fix the state’s rural hospital issues. He is also a proponent of Medicaid expansion and further job creation in Mississippi.

Smith, who works in Jackson as an insurance agent, is telling his voters he wants to help create more economic development in his district and also work on education issues.

Turcotte, who works in Jackon as an advertising agent, told the Clarion Ledger she wants to help reduce crime in her district. She also plans to help create jobs in Mississippi.

Ron Eller said in a written statement to the Clarion Ledger he wants to focus his campaign toward improving education standards in both schools and in prisons. He also believes in creating an environment in which people can be educated and get more jobs.

District 3

Republican

incumbent

Michael

Guest, who did not respond to several requests for an interview or to provide answers for a candidate questionnaire by time of publication, is running unopposed.

Jarvis Gordon, who qualified to run against Guest as a Democrat, withdrew from the race in late February.

District 4

Republican incumbent Mike Ezell is running against both GOP challengers and Democrats, and he is running on the promise to help pass policy to secure the nation’s southern border.

In a statement to the Clarion Ledger, he said he wants to reduce environmental regulations on businesses throughout the nation.

Likewise, one of his Republican opponents, Carl Boyanton, is also running on a promise to close the southern border with Mexico. Boyanton also said he wants to reduce crime.

Ezell’s other Republican opponent, Michael McGill, said he wants to focus on issues such as human trafficking, the opioid crisis, healthcare and infrastructure needs, to name a few.

Ezell’s only Democratic challenger is Craig Raybon.

Raybon did not respond to requests to speak about his bid for Congress, and he has not posted about his key concerns or the sticking points of his campaign.

Grant McLaughlin covers state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.