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Redrawing the South | Jeffrey Toobin
The article discusses how changes prompted by the Supreme Court’s Louisiana v. Callais decision are fueling GOP redistricting in Mississippi, with a focus on Rep. Bennie G.
Updated Oct 16, 2026, 2:28 PM ET
Democratic · 3 November 2026
Bennie Thompson
U.S. Representative for Mississippi's 2nd congressional district (since 1993)
Bennie Thompson, a Democrat who has represented Mississippi's 2nd congressional district since 1993 and twice chaired the House Homeland Security Committee, faces Republican Ron Eller, a physician assistant, in his 2026 re-election bid.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
Live TruthIndex™ and prediction market consensus for races contested by Bennie Thompson.
Latest coverage
Live News
Recent media coverage for Bennie Thompson.
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What We Lost When We Lost the Voting Rights Act
The piece reflects on the impact of the 1965 Voting Rights Act (VRA) on Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi resident from Bolton, near Jackson.
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Why Anthropic Is Asking for a Rehearing En Banc
The piece explains why Anthropic seeks a rehearing en banc on a legal question related to government authority modeled after DOD authority from 2011 (specifically, the authority linked to malicious actors).
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These Yazoo City families overcome hurdles to own their homes
U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (MS-02) helped secure a $3 million U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant to support homeownership efforts in Yazoo City, including projects like Roberts Estates, helping local…
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ICE resists watchdog advice to automate body camera activation
Bennie Thompson (D-Miss., MS-02), ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, plans to introduce legislation to require automatic activation of DHS body-worn cameras, including ICE.
No story this week names this candidate.
- Born
- January 28, 1948
- Birthplace
- Bolton, Mississippi
- Education
- Hinds County Agricultural High School
Tougaloo College (Bachelor of Arts in political science, 1968)
Jackson State University (Master of Science in educational administration, 1972)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Bennie Thompson was born on January 28, 1948, in Bolton, Mississippi, the son of Will Thompson and Annie (Lauris) Thompson. He attended Hinds County public schools and graduated from Hinds County Agricultural High School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Tougaloo College in 1968 and a Master of Science in educational administration from Jackson State University in 1972, and he worked as a schoolteacher in Madison, Mississippi.
Career
Thompson's career in local government began with service as an alderman in Bolton from 1969 to 1973, followed by terms as mayor of Bolton from 1973 to 1980 and as a member of the Hinds County Board of Supervisors from 1980 to 1993. When Mike Espy resigned the 2nd district seat in 1993 to become Secretary of Agriculture, Thompson entered the special election and defeated Republican Hayes Dent in the April 13 runoff with 55% of the vote.
In the House, Thompson chaired the Committee on Homeland Security from 2007 to 2011 and from 2019 to 2023, the first Democrat and the first African American to lead the committee.
In January 2007 he introduced H.R. 1, the Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act of 2007, which was signed into law on August 3, 2007. In July 2021 Speaker Nancy Pelosi chose him to chair the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack.
He was Permanent Chair of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, has been the only Democrat in Mississippi's congressional delegation since 2011, and is the ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security in the 119th Congress.
2026 race
Mississippi's 2nd congressional district encompasses the Mississippi Delta and most of Jackson, and Bennie Thompson is its Democratic incumbent, re-elected with 62.0% of the vote in 2024.
Thompson won the Democratic primary with 86.4% of the vote, defeating antitrust lawyer Evan Turnage and logistics professional Pertis Herman Williams III.
He faces Republican Ron Eller, a physician assistant and the party's 2024 nominee for the seat, who won his primary with 51.1% of the vote against Adams County Board of Supervisors president Kevin Wilson. The general election takes place on November 3, 2026.