Congressional midterms taking shape in Mississippi

• Three incumbent Congressmen have drawn at least one opponent so far. See who is running for the U.S. House in 2026.

The 2026 midterms are approaching, and candidates are lining up to vie for the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate in Mississippi.

Magnolia Tribune has reported extensively on the developments in the state’s U.S. Senate race, outlining the candidates and the politics at play in the race featuring incumbent Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith and a growing list of GOP and Democrat challengers.

Now, we offer a look at the U.S. House races in the Magnolia State to see how they are shaping up as 2026 nears.

First Congressional District

Incumbent 1st District Congressman Trent Kelly, a Republican, appears set to run for a sixth full two-year term. He has represented the North Mississippi area since winning a special election in 2015 after the death of former Congressman Alan Nunnelee.

The June campaign finance report filed by Kelly with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) shows the incumbent has $620,000 cash on hand.

Two Democrats are the only filers so far seeking to challenge Kelly. He was unopposed in the GOP Primary in 2024.

Former State Representative Kelvin Buck is throwing his hat in the ring. Buck, a Democrat, served in the Mississippi House of Representatives for nearly a decade before running and winning two terms as Mayor of Holly Springs. He lost his bid for a third term as mayor in the Democratic Primary in 2021. Buck filed his statement of candidacy earlier this month.

Also filing as a Democrat is newcomer Montravius Hall, a real estate professional. Hall filed to run in July.

Neither Buck nor Hall have campaign finance reports showing with the FEC at this time.

Outlook: District leans Republican

A Republican has held this seat since January 1995 except for less than 3 years when Democrat Travis Childers was elected in a special election after Republican Roger Wicker resigned. Wicker stepped down prior to being sworn in as one of the state’s two U.S. Senators, a position he holds to this day.

Second Congressional District

Incumbent 2nd District Congressman Bennie Thompson, a Democrat, has held this seat since April 1993, winning a special election following the resignation of Mike Espy who became U.S. Secretary of Agriculture under former President Bill Clinton. He shows no signs of giving it anytime soon.

Thompson is widely viewed as nearly untouchable in the 2nd District, having easily won re-election after re-election over the last 30 years. He has built a campaign war chest with over $1.7 million, according to his June FEC filing, surpassing all other incumbents representing Mississippi in the chamber.

Thompson has become an esteemed and reliable vote for Democrats, willing to also step into controversial roles and take positions that often run contrary to many Mississippi voters. However, the 2nd District, much of which encompasses the poorest parts of the state in the Delta, continues to send him back to Washington D.C.

Thompson has drawn one challenger to date – a Democrat newcomer named Bennie Foster. Foster, who works in ministry, has been actively campaigning in the district, seeking to “reimagine Mississippi together.”

Foster filed to run in April but has not filed a campaign finance report.

Outlook: District leans Democrat

Other than a few years post-Civil War during the Reconstruction era and four years in the early 1980s, voters in the 2nd Congressional District have elected a Democrat to this seat.

Third Congressional District

Incumbent Congressman Michael Guest has served in the 3rd District seat since winning his first term in 2018. Guest, a Republican, has consistently sought to rise in the GOP ranks during his four terms. He is currently the chairman of the U.S. House Ethics Committee.

Campaign finance reports show Guest has just under $500,000 cash on hand, leaving well positioned to seek a fifth two-year term in Congress.

Guest ran unopposed in the Central Mississippi district during the 2024 election cycle, and as of this reporting, no other candidate – Republican or Democrat – has filed a statement of candidacy with the FEC to seek the 3rd District seat in 2026.

Outlook: District leans Republican

A Republican has held the 3rd District seat since 1997, but the district has seen robust GOP primary challenges of incumbents. The last Democrat to hold the seat was Sonny Montgomery. He was in office for 24 years.

Fourth Congressional District

Incumbent Congressman Mike Ezell won his first term to Congress in 2022, defeating then-incumbent 4th District Congressman Steven Palazzo in a GOP Primary runoff election. In 2024, then bested two Republican challengers, one of which endorsed him in the previous election, to go on to win his first re-election bid over a Democrat newcomer candidate.

The latest FEC campaign finance reports show Ezell has $183,000 cash on hand, the lowest total among the four Mississippi incumbents.

Mississippi’s 4th District has seen the most vigorous campaigning in recent years. The 2022 campaign drew 7 Republicans, a Libertarian, and 2 Democrats while the 2024 race saw 3 Republicans and a Democrat.

As of this reporting, one Democrat challenger has filed to run against Ezell in the South Mississippi district. Paul James Blackman, a Navy veteran, is a newcomer to the Coast political scene. He filed his statement of candidacy in May and does not show a campaign finance report on file with the FEC.

Outlook: District leans Republican

During redistricting in the early 2000s, Mississippi lost a congressional seat which meant the then-5th District was split and the current four districts were established. Much of the 5th District became what is now the 4th District. Republicans hold the advantage here having held the seat since 2011 when former Congressman Palazzo ousted longtime Democrat Gene Taylor. Taylor was the Congressman for the 4th District from the redistricting through January 2011.