Evan Turnage
Evan Turnage (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District. He lost in the Democratic primary on March 10, 2026.
Turnage completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Evan Turnage earned a bachelor's degree from Morehouse College in 2014, a law degree from Yale Law School in 2017, and a graduate degree from the Yale School of Management in 2017. His career experience includes working as a lawyer.[1]
2026 battleground election
Ballotpedia identified the March 10 Democratic primary as a battleground race. The summary below is from our coverage of this election here
Incumbent Bennie Thompson (D) defeated Evan Turnage (D), and Pertis Williams III (D) in the Democratic primary for Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District on March 10, 2026.
The Associated Press' Sophie Bates wrote that Turnage's challenge was "the latest in a trend of young Democrats looking to oust the party’s old guard and rebrand the party after the 2024 election," and The Clarion-Ledger's Charlie Drape wrote before the election that Turnage's challenge, "[set] the stage for a contest that could test whether seniority and national stature still outweigh calls for change in one of Mississippi’s most reliably Democratic districts."[2][3]
Thompson was first elected in 1993. Thompson ran on his record. In a Facebook post, he wrote, "Serving the people of this district isn’t just my job, it’s my honor and my responsibility. This work is rooted in the relationships built over time and the trust placed in me by the community I am proud to call home."[4] He campaigned on preserving government services, and wrote in a newsletter, "I was proud to co-sponsor the Keep SNAP and WIC Funded Act of 2025 and the Rural Health Clinic Location Modernization Act of 2025 to help families get the healthcare they need and to keep food on the table."[5]
Turnage was an antitrust attorney and former counsel for Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).[6] On his campaign website, Turnage said he would "stay focused on delivering real wins, stand up to Trump, and fight every day to ensure Mississippians can not only get by, but finally get ahead."[7] He also campaigned on affordability and antitrust measures, saying, "Affordability is at the top of mind for people. It’s not enough anymore to just say you’re a Democrat or you’re not Donald Trump. People want real plans."[8]
Turnage said that the district wanted a change in leadership, and said, "I've talked to so many people and it's clear that there's an appetite for new leadership, an appetite for a fighter from Mississippi. This is the poorest district in the poorest state in the country. It was like that when [Thompson] was elected, and it remains that way today."[3] Thompson defended his record and said, "I am confident that my record on behalf of the people of Mississippi’s Second Congressional District will speak for itself. I will continue to run my campaign the way I always have. I trust the voters of the district to make their choice."[9]
If no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, the primary would have gone to a runoff scheduled for April 7.
This page focuses on the Democratic primary in Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District. For more in-depth information on the district's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District election, 2026 (March 10 Republican primary)
- Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District election, 2026
Elections
2026
See also: Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District election, 2026
General election
The primary occurred on March 10, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
General election for U.S. House Mississippi District 2
Incumbent Bennie Thompson (D) and Bennie Foster (Independent) are running in the general election for U.S. House Mississippi District 2 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Bennie Thompson (D) | |
 | Bennie Foster (Independent) | |
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Democratic primary for U.S. House Mississippi District 2
Incumbent Bennie Thompson (D) defeated Evan Turnage (D) and Pertis Williams III (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Mississippi District 2 on March 10, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bennie Thompson | 86.1 | 53,941 |
 | Evan Turnage | 12.6 | 7,900 | |
| Pertis Williams III | 1.3 | 789 | ||
| Total votes: 62,630 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Republican primary for U.S. House Mississippi District 2
Ron Eller (R) and Kevin Wilson (R) ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Mississippi District 2 on March 10, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
 | Ron Eller | 50.9 | 12,554 | |
 | Kevin Wilson | 49.1 | 12,116 | |
| Total votes: 24,670 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
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Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Evan Turnage completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Turnage's responses.
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After graduating as valedictorian of Murrah High School, he continued his education at Morehouse College, studying physics and Spanish and finishing at the top of his class at the esteemed HBCU. From there, Evan went to Yale Law School at a moment when the nation was grappling with systemic inequities in policing and economic opportunity. Evan got to work as an antitrust lawyer at Kirkland & Ellis, and he saw firsthand just how broken competition laws were in this country under the first Trump administration. His conviction to unrig the system eventually took him to Capitol Hill, where he served as senior counsel to Senator Elizabeth Warren and later as chief counsel to then-Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a role that made him the top lawyer in the U.S. Senate.
Day after day, he worked to hold corporations accountable, expand voting rights, and fight for an economy that worked for everyone. Evan authored various major pieces of legislation, including the No Kings Act, which eventually led to the No Kings protests around the country, and the Price Gouging Prevention Act, which was adopted for Vice President Harris’s presidential platform.- We must clean up our government to get government working for the people. In order to restore trust in our system, we have to get corporate money out of politics, ban members of Congress from trading stock, and overhaul corporate lobbying.
- We have to secure the economic rights of every American and tackle the affordability crisis. This means holding cheating corporations accountable for illegal behavior like price gouging, and we must protect and expand the federal benefits that Americans have earned.
- We must shore up democracy in this country by strengthening voting rights and civil rights, promoting equality, and protecting constitutional rights from unelected judges.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website
Turnage's campaign website stated the following:
A Son of Mississippi
Evan Turnage grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, in a home where faith, hard work, and service were inseparable. His parents, Ellie and Ellis, showed him that success wasn’t just about what you achieved for yourself — it was about what you gave back.
As a child at New Hope Christian School, he learned quickly what that service meant: delivering meals at Stewpot Ministries, singing carols for the sick at Christmas, and helping neighbors in need. These experiences shaped an understanding that still guides Evan today.
After graduating as valedictorian of Murrah High School, he continued his education at Morehouse College, studying physics and Spanish and finishing at the top of his class at the esteemed HBCU. From there, Evan went to Yale Law School at a moment when the nation was grappling with systemic inequities in policing and economic opportunity.
An Effective Fighter for Working People
Evan got to work as an antitrust lawyer at Kirkland & Ellis, and he saw firsthand just how broken competition laws were in this country under the first Trump administration. His conviction to unrig the system eventually took him to Capitol Hill, where he served as senior counsel to Senator Elizabeth Warren and later as chief counsel to then-Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a role that made him the top lawyer in the U.S. Senate.
Day after day, he worked to hold corporations accountable, expand voting rights, and fight for an economy that worked for everyone. Evan authored various major pieces of legislation, including the No Kings Act, which eventually led to the No Kings protests around the country, and the Price Gouging Prevention Act, which was adopted for Vice President Harris’s presidential platform.
For the People Act Evan first went to work in Congress because of how meaningful the For the People Act would be for Mississippi. Early voting doesn’t exist here, polling places have closed, and turnout is too often discouraged. To combat this and protect our basic right to be heard, Evan worked on the For the People Act, a sweeping democracy reform package that expands voter access, restores rights to the formerly incarcerated, and cracks down on gerrymandering and dark money. The For the People Act was an integral pillar to Vice President Harris’ 2024 presidential election. Making government work and putting a stop to corruption means that our representatives can deliver for the people, not billionaire and corporate interests. Unfortunately, Rep. Bennie Thompson was the only Democrat in the House of Representatives to vote against this critical legislation. In Congress, Evan will keep pushing to make sure every Mississippian’s vote truly counts and that government works for the people.
Price Gouging Prevention Act As Senior Counsel to Senator Elizabeth Warren, Evan spearheaded the Price Gouging Prevention Act to stop corporations from jacking up prices during crises. As families are forced to choose between gas, groceries, housing, and medicine, Evan refused to accept corporate greed as business as usual. Price gouging is supposed to be illegal in 40 states already, including Mississippi, but it has been under-enforced. The bill brings in the federal government and calls for steep penalties to hold bad actors accountable. In Congress, Evan will bring this fight back to lower costs for Delta families and working people across the 2nd District.
No Kings Act As Chief Counsel to then Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Evan wrote the No Kings Act, reinforcing the basic American principle that no one is above the law, especially the President. The bill pushed back against the dangerous 2024 Supreme Court ruling that unconstitutionally granted the President immunity for crimes committed. In Congress, he’ll work to protect democracy and make sure Mississippi families aren’t governed by a system where the powerful play by different rules.
Digital Consumer Protection Commission Act Evan wrote the bipartisan Digital Consumer Protection Commission Act to rein in Big Tech and AI and to protect consumers from harm online. That means stopping data abuse, protecting kids from dangerous algorithms, and making sure small businesses and communities in the Delta aren’t crushed by tech giants. In Congress, he’ll make sure Mississippians come before Silicon Valley profits.
Prohibiting Anticompetitive Mergers Act As Senior Counsel to Senator Elizabeth Warren, Evan wrote the Prohibiting Anticompetitive Mergers Act to stop corporate consolidation that kills jobs and raises prices for everyone. In the 2nd District — where local grocers, farmers, and small businesses are already fighting to survive — mega-mergers threaten livelihoods. In Congress, he’ll fight to protect Mississippi workers, lower costs, and restore strength to our local economy.
Taking on Corporate Greed from the Bottom Up
Even in the halls of power, Evan recognized the limits of top-down reform. Time and again, he saw policies stall, promises broken, and communities left behind.
In realizing lasting change required grassroots action and local empowerment, Evan returned to Mississippi where he launched the Southern Justice Project. The initiative brings together Black, rural, and low-income Mississippians to organize, advocate, and build economic strength from the ground up. It’s about more than policy; it’s about people believing in their own power to shape the world around them.
Evan believes that true empowerment is not about handouts or empty slogans. It’s about fairness, opportunity, and the freedom to thrive. Whether working in a classroom, a courtroom, the Senate, or his hometown of Jackson, he has dedicated his life to making the system work for people, not the other way around.
— Evan Turnage's campaign website (January 22, 2026)
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
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Candidate U.S. House Mississippi District 2 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 2, 2026
- ↑ Associated Press, "Young Democrat launches primary challenge against U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson in Mississippi," December 17, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Clarion-Ledger, "Meet Evan Turnage, a former Senate aide challenging Rep. Bennie Thompson," December 17, 2025
- ↑ Facebook, "Bennie Thompson Facebook post, January 16, 2026
- ↑ Congressman Bennie Thompson, "2025 Year in Review," January 14, 2025
- ↑ Evan Turnage 2026 campaign website, "Meet Evan Turnage," accessed Januiary 19, 2026
- ↑ Evan Turnage 2026 campaign website, "Homepage," accessed January 19, 2026
- ↑ Mississippi Today, "Attorney with ties to Schumer, Warren launches Democratic primary challenge of Rep. Bennie Thompson," December 17, 2025
- ↑ The Grio, "Former Morehouse valedictorian and Senate aide challenges longtime Rep. Bennie Thompson: ‘It’s time’," December 17, 2025
