AP: Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell wins Republican nomination, ousting incumbent Steven Palazzo
Ezell will run as the Republican candidate in the 4th Congressional District general election.
BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - Mike Ezell has won the primary runoff, securing the Republican nomination to represent Mississippi’s 4th Congressional District.
Ezell has served as the sheriff of Jackson County since a 2014 special election. He also boasts more than 40 years of law enforcement experience.
“When I got elected sheriff, there was a lot of people who didn’t vote for me and I said I’m still your sheriff, I’m going to treat you right and I’ll do the same thing in Washington,” Ezell said Tuesday night. “It’s hard running a campaign with so much negativity and this has been a hard one. I just want to thank everyone for all their help, support and prayers.”
It was a close race, with Ezell securing 54% of the vote over incumbent Steven Palazzo’s 46% before the Associated Press called the election.
Palazzo has served as the representative for the 4th Congressional District since 2011. The 2022 primary marked the first time he was sent to a runoff election.
In the unofficial vote totals collected Tuesday night, Ezell won four of the six coastal counties, with Palazzo winning Stone and Pearl River counties.
“I want to thank my wife, my family, all my supporters and all the people in South Mississippi who turned out,” Ezell said.
Ezell faces Democrat Johnny DuPree and Libertarian Alden Patrick Johnson in the general election on Nov. 8, 2022.
Absentee and affidavit ballots still have to be counted before these results are made official.
Mississippi’s 4th Congressional District includes Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Pearl River, Stone, George, Marion, Lamar, Forrest, Perry, Greene, Jones and Wayne counties, as well as a portion of Clarke County.
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