Sun Herald: The path to victory: Here’s how Mike Ezell defeated Steven Palazzo in Congressional runoff

South Mississippi voters on Tuesday exercised their own term limits, ending Rep. Steven Palazzo’s 12 years in Congress and choosing Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell as the likely candidate to make it to Washington.

The final tally in the District 4 Congressional race was 54% for Ezell to 46% for Palazzo.

Palazzo felt the sting of defeat he dealt to former U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor 12 years earlier.

Taylor, a right-leaning Democrat, represented South Mississippi in the U.S Congress for 21 years when Palazzo, then 40 and a member of the “tea party,” unseated him in the 2010 general election. Palazzo took 52% of the vote to Taylor’s 47% (two other candidates got 1%) in 2010.

Tuesday night’s victory was even bigger for Ezell — 54% to 46%.

Mississippi Today reports Palazzo’s loss appears to be the first time an incumbent in the U.S. House has lost a primary election in Mississippi since 1962. At that time two Democratic incumbents were forced to run against each other after Mississippi lost a House seat.

Ezell must still face the Democratic nominee, former Hattiesburg mayor Johnny Dupree, in the November election along with Libertarian candidate Alden Johnson.

Since District 4 is largely Republican, Ezell is highly favored to take the seat.

6 AGAINST 1 BATTLE

Palazzo on Tuesday night blamed his loss on the endorsements Ezell got from the other five candidates who finished behind them in the primary and then quickly swung their support to Ezell to beat Palazzo.

Ezell called those other candidates “public servants”and “true Americans” who came together for a common goal, “which is to be better for our country.”

Three of those five candidates — Clay Wagner, state Sen. Brice Wiggins and Carl Boyanton — attended Ezell’s victory party in Pascagoula.

“We all wanted change,” Wagner said. “This truly was six of us in this race against the incumbent. It was time for change and we got it tonight.”

Palazzo said it was the 6-against-1 challenge he just couldn’t overcome.

“When you have six opponents shooting at you at the same time, coordinating their campaigns, solely for political ambitions, it has its impact on us and we underestimated that,” Palazzo told the media after the election was called.

Palazzo said he didn’t have any transition help from his predecessor 12 years ago when he entered Congress and said he would be there to help the incoming Congressman and introduce him in Washington.

Palazzo still has six months in Congress and said he doesn’t have any regrets.

“Whatever door opens next, I’m looking forward to walking through it,” he said.

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