Mississippi Lawmaker With Ethics Woes Forced Into GOP Runoff

Republican U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo of Mississippi is headed to a June 28 runoff.

The congressman first elected in 2010 failed to win the GOP nomination outright on Tuesday, earning less than 50% of the vote.

His opponent will either be Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell, who is also campaigning on border security, or Clay Wagner, a retired banker who says he wants to limit taxation and regulation.

A 2021 report by the Office of Congressional Ethics found “substantial reason to believe” Palazzo, a military veteran who serves on the Appropriations and Homeland Security committees, abused his office by misspending campaign funds, doing favors for his brother and enlisting staff for political and personal errands. His then-spokesperson, Colleen Kennedy, said the probe was based on politically motivated “false allegations.