
FILE – In this Feb. 15, 2019, file photo, Rep. Steven Palazzo, R-Miss., speaks during a television news interview on Capitol Hill in Washington. Palazzo is facing six opponents including a sheriff, Mike Ezell, and a state senator, Brice Wiggins, in the 2022 Republican primary. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
by Hunter Dawkins, Publisher – editor@thegazebogazette.com
Following a close Republican primary in early June, the Mississippi 4th Congressional District Representative Steven Palazzo was defeated by Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell 54-46% on the Tuesday, June 28 GOP Run-Off.
Mississippi’s Fourth Congressional District serves all three coastal counties and goes slightly past Hattiesburg in the northern section of the region. Palazzo has served since 2011, after defeating 20-year incumbent; Gene Taylor.
Palazzo was seeking a seventh term and was considered vulnerable after being accused in a 2021 congressional ethics report of abusing his office by misspending campaign funds. In the last decade; however, Palazzo became known better for his lack of appearance in his own congressional district.
Before getting into the runoff with six opponents on the national scene; relatively unknown Sheriff Mike Ezell, spent his whole career in law enforcement.
Ezell was first elected Sheriff of Jackson County in a Special Election that was held 2014 where he won the General Election in 2015.
The GOP Nominee came to the office of sheriff previously with 35 years of law enforcement experience which includes patrol, traffic, jails, reserves, and as a detective while additionally being assigned to the FBI office for a time.
In Harrison County; the second largest county in the state and Palazzo’s home, the sheriff easily won with 55% of the vote or 7880 ballots cast to Palazzo’s 6430 0r 45%. Individual communities in The Gazebo Gazette region votes are shown below.
Mike Ezell Steven Palazzo
East Orange Grove 416 339
Gulfport 4 44 52
Gulfport 5 67 56
West Orange Grove 271 245
DeLisle 169 143
East Pass Christian 177 124
Westside 75 57
West Pass Christian 129 104
Ladner 129 132
West Lizana 60 74
West Long Beach 260 184
East Long Beach 201 188
Long Beach 5 240 215
Long Beach 6 144 137
Outside Long Beach 47 43
Pineville 192 160
Vidalia 69 31
County Farm/Gulf Haven 217 210
Gulfport 3 27 7
East North Gulfport 27 4
North Bel Aire 232 130
South Bel Aire 84 51
West North Gulfport 120 1
The Associated Press researched state records dating back to 1952 and found that no U.S. representative from Mississippi has been in a party primary runoff during those 70 years.
In the June 7 primary, Palazzo received 31.5% of the vote to Ezell’s 25% in a race with seven candidates.
On November, the winner of the runoff between Palazzo and Ezell will face Democrat Johnny L. DuPree, a former Hattiesburg mayor who was the 2011 Democratic nominee for governor, and Libertarian Alden Patrick Johnson.