My state of Mississippi is a very conservative state, but the elected representatives at the state and national level are major RINOs.  The people of Mississippi are starting to wake up to that fact.  In the primaries held this week, two incumbent Republican congressmen failed to reach the 50% threshold to avoid a runoff.  District 3 incumbent Michael Guest obtained only 46.9% of the vote, while his top challenger received 47.5%.  Meanwhile, District 4 incumbent Steven Palazzo received only 31.6% of the vote, while challenger Mike Ezell garnered 25.1%.

Let's take a look at our incumbents and challengers.  In my District 4, we have been blasted by radio ads about the "conservative" Steven Palazzo.  There are Palazzo signs all over the place.  In truth, Palazzo is no conservative.  His Conservative Review Liberty Score is 63%, rating him a "D."  He voted for the $1.5T omnibus bill funding Biden's vaccine mandates and wasteful spending.  He voted for the $40B aid package for Ukraine.  He voted against the repeal of Authorization of Use of Military Force in Iraq.

With Palazzo, it goes deeper than that.  He's under a House Ethics Investigation for misspending campaign money for personal use.  He's not a noisy representative like Marjorie Taylor Greene, so it probably is not a witch hunt.  A candidate forum was held in May so the voters could hear from all of the candidates.  He declined at the last minute, citing "meetings dealing with national security."  He then posted a Facebook photo of himself with his son at a restaurant in Starkville.  I am sure there was a lively discussion about national security.  That's why they call him "No Show Palazzo."

Mike Ezell was Jackson County's sheriff and bills himself as a "Strong Christian Conservative."  In late May, he announced an "I'll Show Up" Tour.  "I'm excited about this tour of the entire district during the week leading up to election day on June 7," said Sheriff Ezell.  "South Mississippi needs a congressman who will show up, speak up and stand up for our conservative values — every day.  I'm asking for everyone's vote because I want to use my 40 years of law enforcement experience to fight for you in Congress so we can finally tackle the big challenges facing our country by securing our borders, restoring law and order, and getting our economy back on track."  Since leading the primary, all five competitors have endorsed him against Palazzo.  There is a desire for change in District 4.  This is looking good for Mississippi and the nation.

District 3's Michael Guest was elected in 2018 and campaigned as a strong supporter of President Trump.  His 2022 campaign website touts his "commitment to the people of Mississippi that he would fight for conservative values."  Well, let's see how he does with regard to "conservative values."  While not a "D" rating like Palazzo, Guest's Liberty Score is a paltry 71%, just squeezing him into a "C" rating.  He of course voted for $40B in aid to Ukraine and the $1.5T omnibus bill.  He also voted to bail out the Post Office and stick Medicare with the bill.  He voted for the so-called COVID relief bill that included $1.4T in special interest spending.  That does not sound conservative to me.  In addition, he was the only Mississippi congressman to vote in favor of creating a special congressional commission to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021 situation at the U.S. Capitol.  So he is not a Trump-supporter, either.

Mike Cassidy has been running an aggressive and expensive campaign pointing out Guest's deficiencies.  Unfortunately, he is as big a spender as Bernie and AOC. In one of the nation's most conservative districts, his proposed social spending programs would cost taxpayers at least $48 trillion over ten years.  Among Cassidy's ideas are Medicare for All, stipends for married couples, and universal basic income for families with children.  How he ever got in to the runoff, I will never know.

In summary, it looks as though we are moving the needle with one improvement.  We need more.  We need to get behind real conservatives and help them succeed.  Mike Ezell, I am here for you.  Mike Cassidy, not so much.

Image: Odder.