Candidates are lining up to run in Mississippi’s 4th Congressional District. Nearly a dozen names are rumored to be considering a run in what could be a hotly contested Republican Primary unlike any South Mississippi has seen.
Yet, Congressman Palazzo says he plans to continue to serve as long as the constituents of the 4th District will allow him.
“I plan to continue to serve as long as the constituents of the fourth district have faith in me to do so,” Palazzo says in a statement submitted to Y’all Politics.
Palazzo is the longest serving Republican in the Mississippi U.S. House delegation. He says he is proud to represent South Mississippi and fight for his constituents’ values in D.C.
“I am immensely proud to represent South Mississippi and fight for our values in Washington,” Palazzo said. “During my time in Congress I have proven myself to be a leader in Washington, fighting as hard as anyone to support the men and women in uniform, our veterans, and the men and women of law enforcement.”
Palazzo holds a powerful seat on the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, a seat that means much to a state like Mississippi. The Congressman says his service there has benefited his District and the state.
“Through my work on the Appropriations Committee I have brought wise federal investment to South Mississippi through contracts for training, testing and fielding of the latest in military and space technologies as well as infrastructure, health technologies and cutting edge university research,” Palazzo stated. “I have fought to help Mississippi recover from disasters including a once in a lifetime pandemic, ensured that money from oil and natural gas leases go back to states who support resource production, and ensured that Mississippi is ready to lead our country well into the future as a hotbed of innovation and pro-business policies.”
Palazzo says he is pushing back on the Democrats in D.C., namely Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and working to secure the nation’s borders while seeking to stop tax increases that harm the economy.
“Despite the efforts of our current president and Speaker Pelosi, we have created one of the strongest economies on record through tax relief for both families and businesses, and built hundreds of miles of new border fencing to prevent illegal crossings,” Palazzo said. “I will continue to fight them at every turn and ensure that the bad policies of the Obama administration are not repeated.”
<<READ MORE: Mississippi’s 4th Congressional District: Who’s In, Who’s Out for 2022 Midterms>>
An ethics inquiry over Palazzo’s campaign spending is what has some believing the six term Congressman is vulnerable. The matter is pending before the U.S. House Ethics Committee and could be heard later this year.
So far, two candidates have announced their intent to run.
Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell held this kickoff this morning on the steps of the County Courthouse flanked by family and local law enforcement before heading off for three other stops in the district – Gulfport, Hattiesburg, and Laurel.
Previous challenger Carl Boyanton has also announce another bid for the seat. Boyanton was the opponent in the 2020 race against Palazzo that filed the ethics complaint. He finished last in the pack of four candidates in the 2020 Republican Primary, drawing just over 9% of the vote.
Frank Corder
