Barely 48 hours after voters in Mississippi 4th U.S. House District voted in the Republican primary, signs were strong that embattled Rep. Steve Palazzo would be finished in the resulting run-off on June 28.
Six-termer Palazzo, the subject of an ongoing ethics investigation, barely managed 32% of the vote in a seven-candidate primary. Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell came in second (25%) is now the strong favorite to win the run-off in two weeks.
Already, third-place (22%) and businessman Clay Wagner has endorsed Ezell. The other four Republicans are expected to weigh in for the lawman soon.
The reason for the quicksilver move to Ezell has been the aura of corruption swirling around Palazzo for nearly a year. In 2021, it was reported that there was "substantial" evidence the Magnolia State lawmaker had illegally used campaign funds to improve his home before a sale and had violated ethics rule to secure his brother's re-enlistment in the U.S. Navy.
Both Palazzo (lifetime American Conservative Union rating: 82.34%) and Ezell are considered strong conservatives. Ezell is expected to contrast the incumbent's own ethical turmoil with his 40-year background in law enforcement.
So far, two Republican House Members — David McKinley (W.Va.) and Madison Cawthorn (N.C.) — have been defeated in primaries.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.