Mississippi News
Every GOP challenger of Rep. Palazzo endorses Ezell in runoff
Every Republican challenger of Rep. Steven Palazzo endorses his runoff opponent Mike Ezell
Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell announced Thursday he has been endorsed by all five other Republican challengers ahead of his June 28 runoff against incumbent U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo.
Ezell, who was one of six Republicans to challenge Palazzo in Tuesday's primary election, was flanked in a Thursday press conference by four fellow candidates, including third-runner in Tuesday's primary businessman Clay Wagner and distant fourth-runner state Sen. Brice Wiggins.
“My campaign slogan was we deserve better than what we have, and we've got the man right here who will be better,” Wagner said at the Ezell press conference. “He's got my full endorsement.”
Wiggins noted he and Ezell have been longtime friends and worked together when Wiggins was an assistant district attorney.
“He is an honorable, stand-up law enforcement guy,” Wiggins said. “He knows how to get the job done. He knows how to take on the things we've seen in D.C. … 63% of the voters in South Mississippi (in the Tuesday primary) chose somebody other than the incumbent. That's a mandate for change.”
Palazzo, who has held the 4th District U.S. House seat in South Mississippi since 2011, received about 32% of Tuesday's primary vote in unofficial results — a poor showing for a longtime GOP incumbent in a district considered safely Republican. Ezell received 25% and Wagner 22%.
The Republican primary race for the 4th District has not centered on major policy differences to date, but more on Palazzo. He has been under a congressional ethics investigation for a year and a half over allegations of misspending campaign and congressional money and misuse of his office. Over years, Palazzo has also faced criticism for not holding town halls or attending many public events in his district, garnering a nickname of “No-show Palazzo” among detractors.
While endorsing Ezell on Thursday, challenger Carl Boyanton said: “I ran with one thing in mind: to get Palazzo out of office.”
READ MORE: Ethics complaints against Rep. Steven Palazzo likely to ‘evaporate' in Congress
Palazzo, who left the district headed back to Washington on Tuesday before primary votes were counted, did not immediately respond to a request for comments to his campaign spokesman on Thursday.
In a press release after Tuesday's vote pushing him into a runoff, Palazzo said: “It's an honor to serve south Mississippi, and it's something I do not take for granted. I'm grateful for our supporters and volunteers who worked hard in this election and who will work hard to help us over the next three weeks. We now turn our attention to the run-off, and we will not be out-worked. We will continue talking to voters about what we've been able to accomplish and our plans for promoting policies to restore economic growth, secure our borders, and keep Americans safe.”
READ MORE: Trump coming to Mississippi. Will he endorse in GOP midterm runoffs?
Ezell, in a new runoff ad, continued to hit Palazzo on the ethics allegations and complaints of being inaccessible in his home district.
“You have a clear choice,” Ezell said. “Steven Palazzo has been under the cloud of an ethics investigation … Mike Ezell has served with honesty and integrity as a law enforcement officer for 40 years fighting crime, cleaning up corruption and saving taxpayers millions. On June 28, the choice is clear. Mike Ezell is the conservative Republican who will show up to represent our values every day.”
The winner of the June 28 Republican primary for the 4th Congressional District will face Democratic former longtime Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree, who handily won Tuesday's Democratic primary, in the Nov. 8 general election.
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi News
Warm and breezy tomorrow ahead of Monday storms – Home – WCBI TV
SUMMARY: Breezy conditions will continue tonight with partly cloudy skies in Columbus, Mississippi. Tomorrow will be warm and breezy with increasing clouds ahead of storms expected on Monday. Rain chances will persist throughout the week. Overnight temperatures will be in the low 60s with partly cloudy skies. Sunday will see mostly dry conditions with some clouds and highs in the 80s. Thunderstorms are expected on Monday followed by showers for the next few days. High temperatures will be in the low to mid 80s next week.
The post Warm and breezy tomorrow ahead of Monday storms – Home – WCBI TV appeared first on www.wcbi.com
Mississippi News
No. 23 Alabama tops Ole Miss 10-3 to win series, Rebs drop to 7-14 in SEC play
SUMMARY: No. 23 Alabama defeated Ole Miss 10-3 in their series, with Mason Nichols pitching well for the Crimson Tide. The game was tied at one in the sixth inning before Alabama pulled ahead and outscored Ole Miss 9-2 in the final three innings. Ole Miss won a thrilling Game 2 but ultimately fell short in winning the series, dropping to 7-14 in SEC play. The Rebels will face Mississippi State next, with the last time they were 7-14 in SEC play being in 2022, the season they won the national title. The game can be watched on ESPNU at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
The post No. 23 Alabama tops Ole Miss 10-3 to win series, Rebs drop to 7-14 in SEC play appeared first on www.wcbi.com
Mississippi News
Mississippi Senate agrees to a new school funding formula, sending plan to the governor
SUMMARY: Mississippi lawmakers are considering replacing the outdated Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP) with a new funding formula, the Mississippi Student Funding Formula. This new plan aims to provide more financial support to school districts, especially for students with additional needs. The bill has passed in both the state Senate and House, with some dissenting votes. Critics argue that the Legislature has consistently underfunded education in the past. The new formula would allocate an additional $217 million for schools compared to the current MAEP budget. Republican Sen. Angela Hill expressed concerns about funding for students learning English as a second language due to immigration issues.
The post Mississippi Senate agrees to a new school funding formula, sending plan to the governor appeared first on www.wjtv.com
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