Elections for 2018 in Mississippi will begin on June 5 with the primaries.
Simpson County voters will participate in primaries held for the office of United States Senate and for the US House of Representatives Third Congressional District.
Republican incumbent Roger Wicker will be seeking re-election to his office in the Senate. This is a regularly scheduled Class I Senate race. Wicker will be opposed by Richard Warren Boyanton in the Republican primary. Several Democratic candidates have emerged in hopes of gaining the seat. David Baria, Jensen Bohren, Jerone Garland, Victor G. Maurice Jr., Omeria Scott, and Howard Sherman will face off in the Democratic primary.
Shawn O’Hara will represent the Reform Party and Danny Bedwell will represent the Libertarian Party for a total of 10 candidates running for this office.
Due to former Senator Thad Cochran stepping down on April 1 a special election will be held for the Class II senate seat. Cindy Hyde-Smith was appointed to the seat by Governor Phil Bryant to serve as an interim until the special election held on November 6 in conjunction with the general. The special election will be nonpartisan and there have been 5 candidates to qualify.
Tobey Bartee, Mike Espy, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Chris McDaniel, and Jason Shelton have all qualified for the right to succeed Cochran as senator. Cochran held the position for nearly 40 years.
US House of Representative Third Congressional District is also up for grabs. Congressman Gregg Harper has held this position since 2009, and announced that he would not seek re-election in January of this year. Nine candidates have qualified for this office. Michael Aycox and Michael Ted Evans will face each other in the Democratic Primary. Sally Doty, Morgan Dunn, Michael Guest, Whit Hughes, Perry Parker, and Katherine Bitzi Tate will battle in the Republican Primary. Primary elections will be held on June 5.
Matthew Holland will represent the Reform Party in the general election on November 6.
