In Mississippi, GOP Reps. Michael Guest and Steven M. Palazzo were on June 7 forced into primary runoffs, and their colleagues in Washington have been working to shore up support for both incumbents.
In the days after the primary, the Southern States PAC, the leadership PAC of Mississippi GOP Rep. Trent Kelly, held a series of “emergency” fundraising receptions in their honor on Capitol Hill, according to an invitation obtained by CQ Roll Call.
Guest, a former prosecutor who describes himself as a “conservative Christian leader,” finished almost 300 votes behind Navy veteran Michael Cassidy in the primary. Since then, Guest has benefited from a surge of support during the runoff and worked to clarify parts of his record that Cassidy had wielded against him. That includes his vote for an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and his votes for bills funding the federal government that Cassidy claimed raised questions about his opposition to abortion rights.
