Republicans in Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District will determine a nominee that will go head to head against a longtime Democratic incumbent in Tuesday’s runoff election.
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D‑MS) has served 16 terms in the House, representing a majority black district since 1993. Vying to unseat Thompson are Republicans Ron Eller and Andrew Scott Smith, who received the most and second-most votes in the March 12 Republican primary but did not meet the threshold to secure a definitive win.
In March, Eller garnered 46.5% of the votes cast, while Smith secured 35.9%. In order to win, a candidate must have 50% of the vote plus one, according to the Clarion Ledger.
Meanwhile, Thompson ran unopposed in the Democratic district’s primary.
Eller, a retired Army officer who lost the Republican nominati …