In the primary election for Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District on Tuesday, veteran Representative Bennie Thompson successfully overcame a challenge from a younger Democratic opponent. Thompson, a Democrat from Mississippi, is on track to serve his 18th term in Congress, securing an overwhelming 84.8% of the vote in this staunchly Democratic district.
The seasoned 78-year-old congressman was up against Evan Turnage, a 34-year-old attorney who previously worked as an aide to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. At the time of Thompson’s first election to Congress, Turnage was just a toddler. Despite focusing his campaign on the need for new leadership and change, Turnage managed to garner only 13.8% of the vote in his effort to unseat Thompson.
Turnage emphasized the desire for transformation among constituents, stating on social media platform X before Election Day, “People are fired up and ready for change. The last 33 years we’ve had some of the same persistent issues.”
Highlighting the economic struggles of the area, one of Turnage’s campaign advertisements pointed out that Mississippi’s 2nd District is “the poorest district in the poorest state in the country.”
“People are fired up and ready for change,” Turnage said on X ahead of Election Day. “The last 33 years we’ve had some of the same persistent issues.”
One of Turnage’s campaign ads noted Mississippi’s 2nd is “the poorest district in the poorest state in the country.”
“That was true when I was one when our congressman was first elected. It’s true today,” Turnage said.
Thompson is seeking another term in the House at a time when several of his longtime colleagues have opted to pass the torch, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Reps. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Jerry Nadler (D-NY).
Thompson, the first black Democrat to represent Mississippi in Congress, should have little trouble being re-elected to the House.
Mississippi’s 2nd District is the most Democratic out of the four in the state.
The district voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris over President Trump in the 2024 election by about a 60%-40% margin.
Thompson, the ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee, also served as the chairman of the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol Building.
Former President Joe Biden awarded Thompson the Presidential Citizens Medal – the nation’s second-highest civilian honor – for his work on the Jan. 6 panel.
