Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-MS) has been defeated in a runoff election amid a campaign finance investigation.
Palazzo was defeated by Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell for the Republican nomination in the 4th Congressional District, which spans the southeastern region of the state between Louisiana and Alabama.
SCANDAL-PLAGUED MISSISSIPPI GOP REP. STEVEN PALAZZO FORCED INTO RUNOFF ELECTION
After Ezell qualified for the runoff election, he was endorsed by all of the other primary challengers.
Palazzo was forced into a runoff election earlier this month after a crowded field of primary challengers ran against him as he faced allegations he misused campaign funds.
An Office of Congressional Ethics report issued last year said there was “substantial reason to believe” Palazzo “converted funds to personal use.” He has denied the allegations and claimed they were politically motivated.
Mississippi law requires a candidate to win a majority of the vote rather than a plurality in order to be the outright winner of a primary; without a majority, the top two vote-getters go into a runoff election. The crowded field of Republican candidates may have otherwise split an anti-incumbent vote in Palazzo’s favor in the primary.
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Palazzo’s primary rivals criticized the longtime lawmaker not just for the ethics investigation he faces but for skipping candidate forums. After he was forced into the runoff, Palazzo participated in a debate for the first time since he won the seat over a decade ago.
The 4th District seat is safely Republican in November.
