The 32 votes cast in Tuesday’s Second Congressional District Republican Primary Election cost Coahoma County taxpayers $437.50 each.
And while Andrew Scott Smith took Coahoma County with 23 votes compared to Ron Eller’s nine votes, Eller took the Second Congressional District race and will face longtime incumbent Congressman Bennie Thompson in the General Election.
Paying 18 pollworkers, five resolution board members, two voting machine delivery/return people and mileage, cost Coahoma County $14,100.
With 30% of precincts reporting, Eller was running at 77% to Andrew Scott Smith’s 23% in Tuesday’s Republican Primary Runoff.
The new 2nd District GOP nominee, Eller is a retired U.S. Army Captain who is now a business owner and a cardiothoracic physician assistant.
Two years ago, Eller lost in the 2022 Republican Primary Runoff to Brian Flowers by 16% after coming in second with 32% in the initial midterm GOP primary.
Flowers had endorsed Smith in Tuesday’s runoff.
Thompson is the odds-on favorite in a district that has supported him since 1993, in the General Election. Coahoma County has always voted for Thompson who visits Clarksdale about once a year
Thompson is the longest-serving black elected official in the State of Mississippi and the lone Democrat in the Mississippi Congressional Delegation. He was at the center of the efforts to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot having been appointed to chair the House Select Committee by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
In 2022, Flowers was able to pull within nearly 20% of Thompson, drawing just under 40% of the General Election total. It was the closest General Election for Thompson in nearly 20 years.
Congressman Thompson’s campaign is sitting on nearly $1.7 million dollars cash on hand while Eller’s last report showed zero cash on hand.
-- Article credit to Frank Corder of the Magnolia Tribune and Floyd Ingram of the Clarksdale Press Register.
