Ron Eller, a military veteran and physician assistant, won the Republican primary runoff in Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District and will now face longtime Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson in the Nov. 5 general election. Eller defeated Andrew Scott Smith, who works in farming and commercial real estate, in the runoff. Thompson, who has represented the majority-Black district since 1993 and won a special election that year, was unopposed for the Democratic nomination in this year’s election. President Joe Biden won the district by 27 percentage points in 2020.
Thompson, who is the ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, has stated that he wants to focus on decreasing prescription drug costs, investing in historically Black colleges and universities, reducing student loan debt, and making sure the wealthy pay their fair share to build the middle class. Eller, on the other hand, supports construction of a U.S.-Mexico border wall and expansion of domestic energy production. Eller believes that all Americans want good places to raise their families with strong schools, clean air, and water, and has called for putting party politics aside to work together as a nation.
After winning the runoff, Eller expressed a desire for unity, stating that it is time to put party nonsense behind us and work together as a people and a nation. The 2nd Congressional District stretches along the Mississippi River on the western side of the state, through the flatlands of the Delta and into the capital of Jackson. In the 2020 presidential election, voters in the district supported Democrat Joe Biden over Republican Donald Trump by a margin of 63% to 36%.
It is notable that Mississippi catfish farms recently settled a lawsuit claiming that immigrants were paid more than Black workers. This issue adds to the complex political and social landscape of the state, where issues of race, immigration, and labor intersect with electoral politics. The outcome of the general election in the 2nd Congressional District will have implications for both constituents in the district and the national political landscape.
With Eller now set to face Thompson in the general election, voters in the 2nd District will have a choice between two candidates with differing views on key issues such as immigration, energy production, and healthcare. The election will also be a test of the district’s political leanings, as it has historically supported Democratic candidates but has shown some support for Republican policies in recent years. The result of this election will shape the representation of the 2nd District in Congress and could have broader implications for the state of Mississippi.
