Michael Guest reelected for third term over Shuwaski Young in Mississippi District 3

Republican Michael Guest will be returning to Congress to represent Mississippi's Third Congressional District for a third term, after defeating Democrat Shuwaski Young during Tuesday's Midterm Elections.

With 94% of the vote in Wednesday, Guest led Young by 42.2%, or more than 72,000 votes.

In a Tuesday night speech at the state Republican Party headquarters in Jackson, Guest told a room of more than 50 supporters that it was a "historic night" that he hopes "will be a turning point in our nation's history."

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Guest said Mississippians turned out in record numbers Tuesday to send a message that they are tired of the federal government being under Democrat control. He also said he expected Republicans nationwide to win the House, though the chamber's balance of power had not yet been decided.

"I will return with a Republican majority that will fight against the harmful policies of this administration. I will return to fight to see that our country returns to the prosperity and have the safety that all Americans need and deserve," Guest said. "I believe that this path will start on Tuesday, January the third, when I and other Republican leaders are there on that day. And on that day, the very first vote that we will take will be to fire Nancy Pelosi."

Following his speech, Guest said that if Nancy Pelosi is replaced by Kevin McCarthy of California, the current minority leader, the first priority of the House Republican Caucus will be to reduce the size of the Internal Revenue Service, which was recently expanded.

"The first thing that we're going to do is we're going to vote to defund the 87,000 IRS agents that were recently passed in the Democratic legislation. We believe that those IRS agents, that the Democrats are seeking to unleash them on all the hardworking Americans," Guest said. "And so the very first bill Kevin McCarthy has pledged to bring to the floor when he becomes speaker is to defund those 87,000 IRS agents."

Guest, who faced a primary challenge from fellow-Republican Michael Cassidy in June that necessitated a runoff, said it was an honor to be sent back to Washington, D.C., to represent his district.

"I think the people of Mississippi know who we are. They know what we stand for. They know of our conservative values and our will to fight on their behalf. And so, to see the turnout that we've seen across the district and the overwhelming turnout and support that we have tonight is truly humbling," Guest said.

Though he pledged to fight against the policies of President Joe Biden, Guest did not rule out working with Democrats and the administration if the right opportunity presents itself.

"If the administration will move to the to the center, we will be happy to work with the administration. You know, this President ran as someone who wanted to be bipartisan ... He wanted to govern from the center," Guest said. "We have not seen that in his two years in office. But if the President will move to the center, I believe that there are things in which we can work with the administration to move our nation forward."

Guest said his main priorities as a legislator will be to rein in inflation, reduce taxes and spending and protect liberty.

At an election night party in Flowood, in Guest's home county of Rankin, Young addressed a group of similar size to those gathered at Republican headquarters. Early in the night, as the first votes came in showing a lead for Young, a buzz began to grow in the crowd. Young said he was confident in victory after seeing the turnout numbers.

“I feel very confident about this election,” Young said. “This year’s elections displayed the people got out and voted and we are expecting a great turn out.”

Young, a former official in the Mississippi Secretary of State office and federal Department of Homeland Security, had run a campaign which focused heavily on abortion access in the wake of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health decision. He had also conducted direct outreach to college students in his district and conducted a number of town halls, actions which he said set him apart from Guest.

However, as more precincts began to report their vote totals Tuesday night, Young's lead quickly vanished. By the time 50% of the vote was in, Guest had more than double the voters and emerged the winner.

Staff writer Joshua Williams contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Michael Guest returning to Congress for Mississippi's Third District