When progressives think of places to settle, Mississippi rarely, if ever, enters their minds. The state ranks 47th in infrastructure (including last in road safety), 49th in economic strength, and dead last in healthcare. The GOP has a stranglehold on the state and local elective offices, and 3 out of 4 US Congressional districts are held by Republicans (in 2010, 3 out of 4 districts were Democratic). Little, if any, money that goes to the state rarely goes to the citizens who need it most.

The only Democratic US Representative from Mississippi, Bennie Thompson, is 78 years old and has represented the state in Congress since 1993. But in 2026, progressive voters are looking for a generational change in Congressional representation. Evan Turnage (he/him), was one year old when Thompson began his tenure in Congress. Now Turnage is running to challenge him in the Democratic primary. An antitrust lawyer by training, Evan is focusing his campaign on, you guessed it, the issues where Mississippi falls near or at the bottom of US state rankings: infrastructure, the economy, and healthcare.

Where are you based?
I’m based in Jackson, Mississippi, where I grew up and where my family and community still live.

What is your position/what position are you running for?
I am a Democratic candidate for the United States House of Representatives for Mississippi’s Second Congressional District, challenging incumbent Representative Bennie Thompson.

How would you briefly summarize your platform?
My platform is about delivering a fair deal for Mississippi’s Second District by focusing on what actually keeps families here and helps them thrive. That means lowering the cost of living, expanding access to healthcare, and creating good-paying jobs rooted in our local communities.

I’m running on a district-specific agenda that includes a “Come Home” plan to reverse brain drain through student debt relief, housing support, and opportunities for remote federal work. I support universal broadband because high-speed internet is essential infrastructure, not a luxury. I’m committed to addressing Mississippi’s maternal health crisis with targeted investments that close deadly gaps in care, and to putting money directly in working families’ pockets through a working families tax credit. And when it comes to job creation, I believe we should be investing in Mississippians and local businesses — not handing out incentives to out-of-state corporations that take profits elsewhere.

What inspired you to run?
I grew up in Cleveland and Jackson, Mississippi, in what is still the poorest congressional district in the poorest state in the country. From an early age, I saw how hard people worked just to stay afloat, and how little help they got from a system that was supposed to be working for them. Decades later, too many of those same challenges remain: persistent poverty, limited healthcare access, brain drain, and a lack of real economic opportunity.

The current representative was first elected to this seat when I was just one year old, and after more than three decades in office, there has been no meaningful economic improvement to show for it in this district.

I’m running because Mississippi’s Second District deserves more than management of decline. We deserve leadership that brings urgency, creativity, and a willingness to fight for transformative change. I believe this district is full of talent and potential, and I want to make sure Washington finally works for the people who have been waiting far too long.

What change are you hoping to bring to your district and country?
Mississippi needs an aggressive and proactive representative in Congress who can both propose and deliver consistent opportunities, resources, funds, and benefits to the Mississippians who need them. Our state is battling persistent poverty, maternal- and infant-mortality crises, healthcare deserts, brain drain and a lack of sufficient job opportunities, and crumbling infrastructure.

With Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren

What do you consider to be your major accomplishments so far?
I have never held elected office. My experience comes from doing the work of governing at the federal level. I served as an antitrust lawyer and later as senior counsel to Senator Elizabeth Warren and chief counsel to then-Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, where I worked on legislation to hold corporations accountable, protect voting rights, and lower costs for working families.

During my time in the Senate, I helped author major pieces of legislation including the Price Gouging Prevention Act, which targeted corporate price manipulation during periods of economic stress, and the No Kings Act, which challenged the unchecked concentration of power being exploited by the White House and broader Trump administration. Those efforts reflect how I approach public service: focused on results, accountability, and making government work for people who too often get left behind.

What do you feel are the most important issues right now, why, and how do you plan to tackle them?
The most important issues facing Mississippi’s Second District right now are economic insecurity, healthcare access, and the concentration of power in too few hands. Too many families are struggling with rising costs, stagnant wages, and limited opportunities, while essential services continue to disappear from rural and underserved communities.

Healthcare is especially urgent. Mississippi faces some of the worst outcomes in the country, including healthcare deserts and a maternal mortality crisis that disproportionately affects Black women. I plan to tackle this by fighting to expand access to care, strengthening rural hospitals and clinics, protecting Affordable Care Act subsidies, and pushing targeted investments that close gaps in maternal and preventive care.

At the same time, rapid technological change, including the spread of artificial intelligence, is reshaping jobs, education, and access to opportunity. Without thoughtful oversight, AI risks deepening inequality and concentrating power even further. I will push for smart AI regulation that protects workers and consumers, ensures transparency and accountability, and prepares Mississippians to compete through investments in education, broadband, and workforce training.

Our economy is also being shaped by corporate consolidation that squeezes workers, small businesses, and consumers. I will use my background in antitrust and economic policy to hold corporations accountable, lower costs, and invest in local job creation, broadband access, and workforce training. These issues are interconnected, and solving them requires leadership that is willing to act with urgency and deliver results, not just manage the status quo.

America is extremely divided these days. How would you hope to bridge that divide with your constituents to better unite Americans?
A lot of the division we feel isn’t just about policy, it’s about how people in power talk to us and about us. For years, much of that tone has been set by Donald Trump and the Republicans who have backed him up, whose words and actions have too often stoked fear, anger, and division instead of lifting people up and bringing us closer together. That’s not just politics as usual. It’s a moral issue about right and wrong, and I’m willing to call that out when I see it.

But bridging the divide isn’t about pointing fingers forever. It starts with listening — really listening — to people who feel overlooked, disrespected, or like no one in Washington has ever taken the time to hear what’s going on in their lives. Most folks, regardless of party, want the same basic things: a chance to work, a chance to be healthy, a chance to raise their families without fear.

I try to meet people where they are, talk honestly about the things that matter most to them, and treat everyone with respect even when we disagree. You build trust not by winning arguments, but by showing up, telling the truth, and doing the hard work of making life a little bit better for ordinary people every day. That’s how you start to bring people together.

How do you see your unique identity and background to be an asset to you in office?
I grew up in Mississippi’s Second District, and that experience shapes how I see the world and how I approach public service. I know what it means to come from a place where people work hard, take care of each other, and still struggle because the system isn’t built to work for them.

At the same time, my path took me from Mississippi to some of the highest levels of federal policymaking. I’ve seen how decisions get made in Washington, who gets heard, and who gets left out. That combination matters. I can speak plainly about what people here are going through because I’ve lived it, and I know how to navigate the system to fight for real results.

Being a Black man from this district also means I carry the history, resilience, and responsibility of a community that has long been asked to wait its turn. I’m not interested in waiting anymore. I want to make sure our voices are taken seriously and that our communities finally see the kind of investment and respect they deserve.

What is your motto in life?
Tell the truth, do the work, and fight for people who don’t have power.

Where can we find out more about you?
You can learn more at EvanTurnage.com, where you’ll find my background, issue positions, and details about my Fair Deal plan for Mississippi’s Second District. As we approach the primary, people can also sign up to volunteer, get involved locally, or contribute to help move this campaign forward.

Our Favorite Candidates in 2026 - Evan Turnage, Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District