Ezell’s camp tells Y’all Politics the Sheriff is willing to meet the Congressman at agreed time and place.
Congressman Steven Palazzo has decided to take his Republican Primary runoff opponent head on, issuing a debate challenge to Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell ahead of the June 28th election.
“It’s an honor to serve south Mississippi, and it’s something I do not take for granted. I challenge Mike Ezell to a debate to be held under mutually agreeable terms before June 28,” said Congressman Steven Palazzo. “Voters deserve to hear directly from both candidates and compare our records before the runoff.”
Palazzo was the top vote getter on Tuesday winning 32% with Ezell taking 25%.
Ezell’s campaign told Y’all Politics later Thursday that the Sheriff is willing to debate Palazzo and looks forward to finding an agreeable time and place.
“Yes, let’s have a debate,” Ezell told Y’all Politics. “We’ve already had four debates and Steven Palazzo didn’t show up to any of them so the real question is will he show up to this one?”
Palazzo did not appear in candidate forums during the initial Primary phase of the campaign, and his six GOP challengers made an issue of his absence while making their appeal to voters ahead of the June 7th Primary.
Earlier in the day, Ezell was endorsed by all five of the other primary challengers, touting the combined endorsement as an unifying show that a change was needed in the 4th District.
Palazzo, however, said it was not a shock that local politicians who ran against him in the first primary are endorsing his opponent.
“This race is now down to two people, and I look forward to debating the issues and comparing the candidates, especially regarding who is best suited to stand up to the disastrous policies of the Biden Administration and Democrats in Congress,” Palazzo said in a statement.
Congressman Palazzo went on to say that a 65-year old freshman in Congress is not going to be able to get done for Mississippi what he can as a subcommittee chairman on the Appropriations Committee with seniority in the House.
“Additionally, Republican primary voters can’t trust a candidate whose campaign is chaired by Democrats to adequately take the fight to Democrats on open borders, inflationary policies, crime, and more,” Palazzo added.
Palazzo noted his office’s efforts that have helped thousands of families through direct work with the federal bureaucracy and hundreds of thousands of Mississippians by establishing policies and direct appropriations that improve the daily lives of our constituents.
“I am well-positioned to deliver for south Mississippi with a new conservative majority, and I look forward to debating,” the Congressman concluded.
