Paul Blackman
Paul Blackman (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Mississippi's 4th Congressional District. He lost in the Democratic primary on March 10, 2026.
Blackman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Paul Blackman served in the U.S. Navy from 2004 to 2024. He graduated from Girraween High School. He earned an associate degree from the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and, as of his 2026 campaign, is attending the University of Southern Mississippi.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Mississippi's 4th Congressional District election, 2026
General election
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
General election for U.S. House Mississippi District 4
Incumbent Mike Ezell, Jeffrey Hulum III, and Carl Boyanton are running in the general election for U.S. House Mississippi District 4 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Mike Ezell (R) | |
 | Jeffrey Hulum III (D) | |
 | Carl Boyanton (Independent) | |
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Charles Claburn (American Independent Conservative Party)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Mississippi District 4
Jeffrey Hulum III defeated Paul Blackman and D. Ryan Grover in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Mississippi District 4 on March 10, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jeffrey Hulum III | 58.3 | 10,513 |
 | Paul Blackman | 27.3 | 4,922 | |
 | D. Ryan Grover | 14.5 | 2,609 | |
| Total votes: 18,044 | |||
| = 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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Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Mississippi District 4
Incumbent Mike Ezell defeated Sawyer Walters in the Republican primary for U.S. House Mississippi District 4 on March 10, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mike Ezell | 83.9 | 35,968 |
 | Sawyer Walters | 16.1 | 6,882 | |
| Total votes: 42,850 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- John Mills (R)
Endorsements
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Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Paul Blackman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Blackman's responses.
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I’m a U.S. Navy veteran, a husband and father of three, and like many people in our community I balance work, family, and school while trying to build a better future. I wasn’t born in Mississippi, but this state is my home. My wife is from here, and we chose to build our lives here after my military service.
Like many families along the Gulf Coast, we understand what it means to work hard and still worry about the future. I see neighbors working full-time yet struggling with rising costs, uncertainty about retirement, and a sense that the system is no longer working for ordinary people.
That’s why I’m running.
I believe Mississippi deserves leadership that focuses on economic security, fairness, and accountability. That means protecting Social Security, strengthening retirement savings so working people can actually retire with dignity, supporting veterans and working families, and making sure government works for the people who pay for it.
I’m not running to become part of Washington. I’m running to represent the people of South Mississippi and bring a practical, straightforward voice to Congress—one that believes if you work, serve your country, and play by the rules, you deserve a fair shot at a stable life.- PROTECT RETIREMENT SECURITY FOR WORKING AMERICANS. If you work your whole life, you should be able to retire with dignity. My campaign focuses on protecting Social Security while strengthening retirement savings so working people can build real financial security over time. Too many Americans reach retirement age without the stability they were promised. I support policies that preserve Social Security as the foundation of retirement while encouraging stronger long-term savings so that ordinary workers—not just the wealthy—can look forward to a stable future.
- PUBLIC OFFICE IS A DUTY NOT A CLUB I believe public office should be treated as a responsibility to the people, not membership in a political club. Government works best when it is transparent, accountable, and focused on solving real problems. My approach to leadership is grounded in service, respect for democratic institutions, and honest communication with constituents. Representatives should listen carefully, explain their decisions clearly, and focus on policies that improve people’s lives rather than chasing headlines or partisan fights.
- PRACTICAL LEADERSHIP FOR MISSISSIPPI FAMILIES South Mississippi deserves leadership focused on practical solutions that help families and communities thrive. My campaign is centered on economic stability, support for veterans, and policies that strengthen opportunity for working people. I believe in commonsense leadership that looks for results instead of political theatre. My goal is to represent the people of our district with fairness, integrity, and a commitment to policies that improve everyday life across our communities.
My interest in this issue comes from seeing how economic uncertainty affects families who are doing everything right but still struggle to plan for the future. I believe public policy should help restore the basic promise that if you work, contribute, and play by the rules, you should be able to retire with dignity and security.
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 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 4 |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 9, 2026
