Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) secured the Democratic nomination in Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District on Tuesday in a landslide primary victory, positioning the longtime lawmaker for another reelection bid as Republicans awaited the outcome to determine who will challenge him in November.
Thompson, who has represented the district since 1993 and is 78, faced little opposition in the Democratic primary and was widely expected to advance over younger challenger Evan Turnage, 34. With 30% of votes counted, Thompson had roughly 86% of the vote to Turnage’s 13% and Pertis Williams’s 1.4%.
With the victory, the veteran congressman moves one step closer to another term representing the majority-black district that stretches across much of Western Mississippi and includes the state capital of Jackson.
The Republican primary race has yet to be settled, with candidates Ron Eller and Kevin Wilson being the leading contenders in the race to face Thompson in the general election.
Eller previously ran against Thompson and has campaigned on conservative economic policies, arguing the district needs new leadership after decades of Democratic representation. Wilson also pitched himself as an alternative to the incumbent of three decades, emphasizing economic development and public safety as key issues in the campaign.
Mississippi election law requires a candidate to receive more than 50% of the vote to win a party primary outright. If no candidate reaches that threshold, the top two finishers advance to a runoff election later this month.
The outcome of the Republican contest will determine whether Thompson faces a new challenger or a rematch against Eller, who previously sought the seat.
Thompson remains one of Mississippi’s most prominent Democrats and a senior figure in Congress. He serves as the ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee and previously chaired the select committee that investigated the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
Thompson has been reelected repeatedly in the heavily Democratic district. The 2nd District has long been considered safely Democratic.
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The district runs along the Mississippi River from the Delta region south toward Natchez and east to Jackon, encompassing many rural counties as well as the state’s largest city.
While Republicans have periodically fielded challengers, no GOP candidate has come close to unseating Thompson or any Democrat post-civil rights era.
