Mississippi voters will cast ballots Tuesday to select party nominees for congressional races ahead of the Nov. 3 general election. All four of the state’s incumbent U.S. representatives and its junior U.S. senator are running for re-election in 2026, according to election officials.
The state’s delegation currently includes five Republicans and one Democrat. The only member not on the ballot Tuesday is Sen. Roger Wicker, who faces re-election in 2030. The primaries will determine the candidates competing in the upcoming election, with the party nominees facing off in November.
In the U.S. Senate Democratic primary, Noxubee County District Attorney Scott Colom is competing against Marine Corps veteran Albert Littell and Priscilla Williams-Till, a distant relative of lynching victim Emmett Till. On the Republican side, incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith is challenging physician Sarah Adlakha. Hyde-Smith benefits from incumbency, existing campaign infrastructure, and President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
The Democratic primary for District 1 features University of Mississippi law professor Cliff Johnson against former state Rep. Kelvin Buck. Incumbent Republican Trent Kelly is running unopposed in the GOP primary for that district.
In District 2, Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson faces challengers Evan Turnage, a former aide to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Pertis Williams III, who has focused on agricultural issues. Thompson, a civil rights leader, has represented the district since 1993. On the Republican side, Adams County Supervisor Kevin Wilson is competing against Ron Eller, a military veteran and physician’s assistant, who is running again after losing to Thompson in 2024.
The District 3 Democratic primary features Michael Chiaradio, a former baseball player turned farmer from New Jersey, running unopposed. Incumbent Republican Michael Guest is also unopposed for the GOP nomination and has secured three general election victories since 2018.
In District 4, three Democrats are vying for the nomination: state Rep. Jeffrey Hulum III, business consultant D. Ryan Grover, and Navy veteran Paul Blackman. On the Republican side, incumbent Mike Ezell faces Sawyer Walters, a Department of Marine Resources employee and Mississippi Army National Guard lieutenant.
The primaries will help determine the candidates who will compete in Mississippi’s congressional races this fall, with both parties aiming to gain or hold their respective seats in a closely divided Congress, according to political observers.
