Candidate profile: Michael Guest-Republican nominee for Mississippi’s Third Congressional District

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - WLBT is continuing our mid-term election coverage and helping you learn more about the candidates. We profiled the Democratic candidate for the third congressional district here.

Now, we’re catching up with Republican incumbent Michael Guest.

As the incumbent, Michael Guest is a familiar name and face in the 3rd congressional district. But for those just tuning into the midterm race, here is his pitch to you.

“What I’m going to do is I’m going to tell them that I think there’s a clear contrast between myself and my opponent,” said Michael Guest. “We stand for the fact that we are pro-life, we’re pro-Second Amendment, and we are in favor of the limited government and extending the Trump tax cuts.”

Guest mingled with supporters at an event less than a week out from election day. As a former District Attorney for Madison and Rankin Counties, there were several law enforcement and local officials in attendance to show their support for Guest.

He says there’s an issue that seems to be the largest motivator when he’s talked to voters.

“As we’re traveling throughout the district, one of the things that we hear more than anything is the economy inflation,” he said. “And I think what the Republican-controlled majority can do, as far as that we can push the administration to bring down gas and energy costs. We can do that by opening up drilling in the Gulf opening up drilling on some of our federal lands, we can push for some to make sure that we are removing some of the regulations that serve as impediments.”

Another national conversation is whether the current post-Roe landscape will impact turnout. But Guest makes this note.

“That really, in Mississippi, as I’m traveling is not something that we’re hearing a lot of,” he said. “We’re hearing first about the economy, inflation. We’re hearing about crime and the rise in violent crime. We’re hearing about immigration. And so if anything, abortion is going to be a fifth or sixth issue that people are bringing up.”

When asked about the potential of a federal abortion ban, he says he’s supportive of a total ban with any federal dollars as it currently exists but he thinks the health of the mother, incest, and rape should be considered as potential exceptions if congress considers adding federal guardrails.

As for next Tuesday, he says the Republican primary runoff did make his campaign focus more on get-out-the-vote efforts. He’s hopeful the turnout numbers will be higher for the general election.

“We hope that ultimately, at the end of the day we will see that Republicans nationwide will retake the majority in Congress,” added Guest.

For more information on the Guest campaign, click HERE.

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