Mississippi Holds Congressional Primary Elections Tuesday

Mississippi voters head to the polls Tuesday to select congressional nominees, with Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith facing a primary challenger and longtime Democratic Representative Bennie Thompson defending his seat. The primaries will determine candidates for November's general election in a state where federal offices haven't changed party control since 2010.

Mississippi residents will head to polling stations Tuesday to select congressional candidates in statewide primary elections. The ballot includes the state’s junior Republican senator and all members of the U.S. House delegation seeking reelection, with nearly every incumbent facing opposition from one or both major parties.

While Republicans maintain narrow control of both chambers in Washington, Mississippi’s outcomes are unlikely to determine overall congressional control in November. The state hasn’t seen any federal seat switch parties in more than a decade.

Leading the ticket, Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith confronts primary opposition as she seeks her second complete term. Physician and author Sarah Adlakha is challenging Hyde-Smith in the GOP primary. On the Democratic side, Scott Colom, who serves as district attorney for Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee and Oktibbeha counties, is among the candidates. Notably, Hyde-Smith prevented Colom’s federal judicial confirmation after President Biden nominated him to the federal bench in 2023.

Hyde-Smith captured approximately 54% of votes in her two previous general election contests, both against former Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy. She ran unopposed in the 2020 Republican primary. Mississippi has experienced minimal Senate turnover, with just four senators representing the state since 1989, all Republicans.

In the 2nd Congressional District, Representative Bennie Thompson, the state’s most senior current House member and only Democratic representative, confronts two primary opponents while pursuing an 18th term. Attorney Evan Turnage represents the latest wave of younger Democrats challenging established party incumbents. Turnage previously worked as an advisor to Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer of New York and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

Thompson’s toughest primary battle as an incumbent occurred in 2006, when he secured roughly 64% against then-state Representative Chuck Espy, nephew of Mike Espy, whom Thompson replaced in Congress in 1993.

On the Republican side, Ron Eller and Kevin Wilson are vying for the GOP nomination. Eller, a physician assistant, unsuccessfully challenged Thompson in the 2024 general election. Wilson serves as an Adams County supervisor.

This expansive district runs along the Mississippi River, sharing borders with Arkansas and Louisiana, and covers approximately 40% of the state’s land area. It encompasses most of Jackson, the state capital. The district’s population is about 64% Black, the highest percentage statewide. Current district lines took effect in 2022. District voters backed Democrat Kamala Harris over Republican Donald Trump 60% to 39% in the 2024 presidential race.

The Associated Press maintains strict standards for calling races, declaring winners only when trailing candidates cannot mathematically overcome the gap. If races remain undecided, the AP continues reporting developments while clearly stating no winner has been determined.

Mississippi lacks automatic recount provisions and doesn’t allow candidate-requested recounts. Recounts occur solely through court orders. The AP may call races subject to potential recounts if the margin is too substantial for challenges to alter the outcome.

Polling locations close at 7 p.m. local time, corresponding to 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

The AP will report vote tallies and announce winners for both parties’ Senate primaries and competitive House primaries in the 1st, 2nd, and 4th Congressional Districts.

Mississippi doesn’t require party registration, allowing any qualified voter to participate in either party’s primary. However, voters cannot participate in multiple party primaries, and those voting in one party’s primary cannot vote in another party’s April 7 runoff.

Nearly 1.9 million active registered voters were recorded as of February 2.

The 2024 Republican presidential and Senate primaries each attracted roughly 248,000 voters, representing about 13% of registered voters. Democratic primaries drew approximately 91,000 votes for president and 82,000 for Senate, equaling about 5% and 4% of registered voters respectively. Absentee ballots comprised roughly 6% of total votes cast in both parties’ 2024 primaries.

Early voting totals show 13,473 ballots already cast in the 2026 primaries as of Friday.

During 2024 primaries, the AP began reporting results at 8:07 p.m. Eastern Time, seven minutes after polls closed. Final updates came at 12:35 a.m. Eastern Time with approximately 95% of votes tallied.

Counties handle absentee ballot reporting differently. Some provide separate absentee totals at the end of counting, while others integrate them with precinct results throughout the evening.

Mississippi doesn’t offer in-person early voting.

Tuesday’s primaries occur 238 days before the 2026 midterm elections.