Mississippians will elect Republican and Democratic nominees for the U.S. House of Representatives in the state’s party primaries on Tuesday, March 12.
Use this guide to learn more about the candidates’ backgrounds and policy views.
Why this office is important: The U.S. House of Representatives is one of two bodies in Congress that can write and pass federal laws. The House has the exclusive right to draft revenue bills, impeach federal officers and elect the president if none of the candidates collect a majority of votes from the Electoral College.
1st Congressional District Trent Kelly, Republican incumbent
Background: Incumbent U.S. House Rep. Trent Kelly is a Union, Miss., native and University of Mississippi graduate, where he also attended the School of Law. He is a major general in the Mississippi Army National Guard and the recipient of two Bronze Stars, the Combat Action Badge, the Bronze, Silver and Gold de Fleury medals. He served in Operation Desert Storm and multiple times in Iraq.
Kelly won a special runoff election in 2015 and has served in the U.S. House of Representatives ever since. He voted against impeaching former President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol and opposed creating an independent commission to investigate the attack.
Photo courtesy U.S. House of Representatives
The representative also voted against a $1.7 trillion government-funding bill that included $600 million to help address the Jackson water crisis. Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed the bill into law in December 2022.
Kelly cosponsored H.R. 705, the Heartbeat Protection Act in 2022, which would enforce a nationwide ban on abortion once a baby’s heartbeat became detectable around six weeks of pregnancy. The bill died in committee during the 2022 legislative session.
He is running unopposed in the Republican primary.
Policy Views:
Website: kellyformississippi.com
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Dianne Dodson Black, Democrat
Background: Dianne Dodson Black has been a cosmetologist and beauty-salon owner
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