Strong support at home powers Guest’s congressional campaign

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Republican nominee Michael Guest moves toward the general election in Mississippi’s 3rd Congressional District with a big advantage – the electoral dynamo of his home county.

Support from Rankin County turned what would have been a comfortable victory for the 48-year-old Guest into a blowout over runoff opponent Whit Hughes.

The county provided more than a quarter of the votes in Tuesday’s election, and gave 80 percent of those ballots to the Brandon resident, who has served as district attorney for Rankin and Madison counties for 22 years.

Guest will face Democratic state Rep. Michael Ted Evans of Preston and Reform Party member Matthew Holland in November.

Evans has been focused on rural areas, but the voting strength of the Jackson suburbs could raise questions about that strategy.

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