Left to Right: Ron Eller, Bennie Thompson and Bennie Foster (Photos from candidates' Facebook pages)
- The 78-year-old, 33-year incumbent Democrat looks to continue his hold on Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District. Bennie Thompson’s $1.4 million campaign war chest far exceeds his Republican and Independent challengers, who have a combined cash on hand of $47,000.
Mississippi’s 2nd District Congressman Bennie Thompson (D) is running for his 18th term in the U.S. House of Representatives after first being elected in a special election in 1993 to succeed Mike Espy, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton (D) to be U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
Republican nominee Ron Eller and independent Bennie Foster are hoping to unseat the 78-year-old incumbent in the November midterm General Election.
Eller, 65, is a physician assistant who previously ran for the seat in 2022 and was the Republican nominee in 2024 while Foster, 58, is a Jackson-based businessman who is a newcomer to seeking political office.
Thompson is the odds-on favorite to win his re-election campaign. The Cook Political Report rates the race as “Solid D.”
Thompson earned national attention by chairing former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s House Select Committee that investigated the events surrounding the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, while establishing himself as a vocal critic of President Donald Trump (R).
Thompson also has a sizable campaign war chest of just shy of $1.4 million, according to third quarter FEC campaign finance reporting. Meanwhile, Eller has $38,000 cash on hand and Foster reported less than $9,200.
Magnolia Tribune sought interviews with each candidate to discuss their policy platforms, what they hope to accomplish in the next Congress, and what sets them apart from the other candidates in this midterm race.
Eller and Foster agreed to be interviewed while the Thompson campaign did not respond to multiple requests.
Platforms
Eller, the Republican nominee, said his policy platform is built around free enterprise, limited government, individual liberty, a strong national defense, and traditional American values.
“I want to grow our economy by lowering the tax burden, controlling federal spending, encouraging American manufacturing and small businesses, and pursuing an all-of-the-above energy policy,” Eller said. “I support securing our borders, protecting the Second Amendment and the right to life, defending individual medical freedom, strengthening election integrity, and requiring government to live within its means.”
Foster, an independent candidate, said his vision is to “ReIMAGINE Mississippi as a leader in the nation by building better systems that produce measurable results for our communities.”
Specifically, Foster believes that “by improving the systems that affect education, employment, healthcare, economic opportunity, public safety, and access to government resources, Mississippi’s Second Congressional District can begin reversing decades of population loss and economic challenges and position itself for sustained growth.”
Next Congress
If elected to represent the 2nd District, Eller said he wants to “make government more accountable to the people who pay for it.”
To accomplish this, Eller plans to “rein in wasteful spending, oppose tax increases, secure our southern border, promote American energy independence, protect our constitutional rights, and create an environment where businesses can grow and create good-paying jobs.”
Eller also said that congressional term limits are a big priority of his.
“I strongly support congressional term limits because public office should be public service, not a lifetime occupation,” Eller said.
Foster, on the other hand, said that he is not campaigning on promises of what he might be able to do after being elected but is committed to expanding what he has already done outside of office.
Foster pointed to recently securing a “multimillion-dollar grant supporting a comprehensive program serving hundreds of residents and children across six counties within Mississippi’s Second Congressional District.”
He added that in Congress, he would “seek to expand approaches like these throughout all 28 counties of MS-02 while improving the systems communities use to access federal resources and demanding measurable outcomes from public investment.”
Why Voters Should Choose Them
As for what separates him from the other candidates, Eller said that he has spent his life outside of the Washington political establishment, giving him a valuable perspective.
“I served our country for 20 years on active duty in the military. I spent another 20 years working in healthcare, taking care of patients and seeing firsthand the consequences of government decisions,” Eller said.
The Republican said he does not look at these issues as a career politician.
“I’m looking at them as a veteran, healthcare professional, businessman, taxpayer, husband, father, and grandfather,” Eller added.
Foster said that his experience working in education, business consulting, and community programs, as well as his independent status, separates him from Thompson and Eller.
The independent candidate said he believes his “responsibility in Congress would be to the people of the district rather than a political party,” allowing him to work with—or oppose—either side.
The General Election for Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District is on Tuesday, November 3.
