Mississippi freshman Rep. Mike Ezell has been attacked for voting — “16 times” — for Kevin McCarthy as speaker, while a new super PAC created on Feb. 21 started spending last week to oppose Sen. Roger Wicker.
Ezell and Wicker both have the endorsement of former President Donald Trump and have outspent their opponents significantly ahead of Tuesday’s primaries. But their challenges, on an otherwise sleepy primary ballot, highlight how seemingly safe Republicans have come under fire this cycle.
Ezell, a former sheriff, is seeking a second term in the 4th District after ousting six-term Rep. Steven Palazzo in 2022 by railing against his ethics. Now, Ezell faces businessman Carl Boyanton and Army veteran Michael McGill. Boyanton placed fifth in a seven-way primary for the seat in 2022 and later endorsed Ezell in a runoff. He also previously ran for the seat in 2020.
