Guest Running Unopposed in 3rd Congressional District

After two Democrats flirted with running for the seat, Congressman Michael Guest is now unopposed in the Republican Primary and the General Election.

Every candidate seeking public office has heard the saying, “Either you run scared, or you run unopposed.”

For the first time in his congressional career, Mississippi’s 3rd District Congressman Michael Guest isn’t worrying with a re-election race; he is running unopposed.

Guest, a Republican seeking his fourth term to the U.S. House of Representatives, looked to be challenged by two Democratic newcomers this year – Angel Rios and Jarvis Gordan.

Yet, Rios did not qualify to seek the seat after initially filing his Statement of Candidacy with the Federal Election Commission last June, and Gordan qualified to run and then withdrew his candidacy.

Guest has previously faced challengers in each of his three Republican primaries and General Elections.

In his first run for the seat in 2018, Guest was one of six candidates seeking to replace outgoing Congressman Gregg Harper. Guest took over 44% in that primary before winning over Whit Hughes with 65% in the GOP runoff. Guest went on to defeat Democrat Michael Ted Evans and Reform Party candidate Matthew Holland in the General Election, pulling over 62% of the vote.

The 2020 election was an easier go for Guest, winning the GOP Primary with nearly 90% of the vote over newcomer James Tulp and then defeating Democrat Dorothy Benford in the General Election with just under 65% of the vote.

In 2022, Guest faced the race of this political career, as newcomer Michael Cassidy pushed Guest to a GOP Primary runoff thanks in part to third place finisher Thomas Griffin. Guest pulled in 47.5% to Cassidy’s 46.9% and Griffin’s 5.6%. But Guest went on to win the runoff with over 67% and then the General Election over Democrat Shuwaski Young with nearly 71% of the vote.

Congressman Guest now holds a chairmanship in the U.S. House, overseeing the House Ethics Committee, an appointment made by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and retained by current Speaker Mike Johnson.