Trump, Biden clinch nomination; Wicker defeats challengers

Mar. 13—Americans are all but assured a rematch between incumbent President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump come November after Lauderdale County residents joined their fellow Mississippians at the polls Tuesday to cast their votes in the 2024 primary elections.

Biden received 2,477 votes or 99.4% of Lauderdale County ballots cast in the Democratic primary running unopposed, while Trump, who is running for a second term in office, took the Republican nomination with 6,090 votes or 93.58%, according to unofficial results from the Lauderdale County Circuit Clerk's office. Statewide, Trump received 92.6% of the vote.

According to the Associated Press, the wins in Mississippi, along with races in Georgia and Washington, gave both candidates enough delegates to become their parties' nominees when the Republican and Democratic national conventions are held later this year.

Also featured on the Republican ballot for president were former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, all of whom ended their campaigns before Tuesday's vote. The candidates, however, did not file the necessary paperwork in time to be removed from the ballot.

Haley received 302 votes, or 4.64%, in Lauderdale County, while DeSantis received 78 votes, or 1.2%, and Ramaswamy received 20 votes, or 0.31%. Statewide, Haley received 5.3% of the vote, or 12,530 votes, DeSantis received 1.6%, or 3,870 votes, and Ramaswamy received 0.4%, or 1,049 votes.

Tuesday's election also included races for one of Mississippi's seats in the U.S. Senate and its four seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In the race for Senate, incumbent Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Tupelo, handily defeated state Rep. Dan Eubanks, who represents DeSoto County, and Ghannon Burton, a former Marine Corps pilot, for the Republican nomination heading into the November general election.

Locally, Wicker received 4,195 votes, or 64.36%, while Eubanks received 1,166, or 17.89%, and Burton received 1,141 votes, or 17.51%. Burton performed slightly better statewide, with 24.9%, or 58,770 votes, but Wicker maintained a solid majority with 61.2%,or 144,455 votes. Eubanks received 13.9%, or 32.877 votes, statewide.

Wicker will go on to face Democrat Ty Pinkins in the general election in November. Pinkins, a Rolling Fork native, attorney and Army veteran, ran unopposed in Tuesday's primary.

Also running unopposed was Rep. Michael Guest, who represents Mississippi's 3rd Congressional District, which includes Lauderdale County. Guest, who first took office in 2018, is also unopposed in the general election.

In other parts of the state, Dianne Black beat Bronco Williams with 84.7% to 15.3% of the vote for the Democratic nomination for U.S. House District 1. Black will face incumbent Rep. Trent Kelly, a Republican, in November.

The Republican primary for U.S. House District 2 remains undecided as the race heads to a runoff election between Ron Eller and Andrew Smith. The winner will face Rep. Bennie Thompson, who has served as the sole Democrat in Mississippi's congressional delegation since 2011, in November.

In Mississippi's 4th Congressional District, incumbent Rep. Mike Ezell defeated two primary challengers for the Republican nomination. He will face Democrat Craig Raybon, who ran unopposed in the primary, in the general election.

Contact Thomas Howard at thoward@themeridianstar.com