Ron Eller and Andrew Scott Smith have advanced to an April 2 runoff for the Republican nomination in the 2nd Congressional District.
The winner will go to the Nov. 5 general election to face Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson. He has held the office since 1993, when he won a special election, and is the ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee.
The 2nd District encompasses most of the city of Jackson, plus rural areas in the Delta and along the Mississippi River.
Eller is a military veteran and physician assistant who ran unsuccessfully for the 2nd District nomination in 2022. He said he supports construction of a U.S.-Mexico border wall and expansion of domestic energy production.
Smith has worked in farming and commercial real estate. He said he wants to rejuvenate agriculture, rebuild infrastructure, reinforce the southern border and require more transparency in government.
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In this photo provided by the Ron Eller for Congress Campaign, Republican candidate Ron Eller poses for a photo. Eller is a military veteran and physician assistant who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination in the 2nd Congressional District in 2022. (Eric Eller/Ron Eller for Congress Campaign via AP) -
In this January 2024 photo provided by the Andrew Scott Smith for Congress Campaign, Republican candidate Andrew Scott Smith poses for a photo. Smith, who has worked in farming and commercial real estate, is running for the Republican nomination in the 2nd Congressional District in 2022. (Wyatt Roberts Jr./Andrew Scott Smith for Congress Campaign via AP)
The candidate eliminated in the primary was Taylor Turcotte, who has worked in advertising.