Mike Ezell is a native of the Mississippi Gulf Coast who was born and raised in Pascagoula, Mississippi. At a young age, Ezell says his father who served on the police force and his mother who worked as secretary at his family’s church instilled the value of hard work and public service.
After graduating from Pascagoula High School, Ezell started a career with the Pascagoula Police Department. While working full time as a police officer, he attended the University of Southern Mississippi. He later also attended the FBI National Academy.
In 2014, Ezell was elected to serve as Jackson County sheriff. After more than four decades serving as a law enforcement officer, he decided to run for Congress.
Incumbent Rep. Ezell is currently serving his second term as the Congressman for Mississippi’s 4th Congressional District. Four years ago, Ezell took the unique step of challenging an incumbent of his own party, Steven Palazzo, who had represented the district for a decade. Palazzo and Ezell ended as the top two in the Republican primary, forcing a runoff that Ezell won decisively. Ezell then easily defeated Democratic candidate Johnny DuPree in the general election.
Ezell is a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee where he is the chairman of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee and a member of the Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management subcommittee. He is also a member of the House Natural Resources Committee where he is the vice chairman of the subcommittee on Water, Wildlife Fisheries and a member of the Energy and Mineral Resources subcommittee.
He is seeking reelection to continue representing Mississippi’s 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Mississippi Free Press requested an interview in person or via phone with Ezell, but his campaign team’s communications director Josh Gregory said Ezell had limited availability ahead of elections. When the Mississippi Free Press sent questions to be answered via email, Gregory said Ezell would not have time to answer them before the deadline.
Securing the Southern Border
If reelected, Rep. Mike Ezell says he’ll work to secure the southern border through “tackling the border crisis” and “shutting down illegal immigration,” his campaign website says. He pledges to continue working to finish President Donald Trump’s wall and supporting border patrol and law enforcement officers.
In 2024, Ezell called securing the southern border the “biggest challenge facing Congress,” when he outlined why he was supporting impeachment proceedings against President Joe Biden’s Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.
“Last year alone, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recorded over 2.9 million encounters at the Southwest border—more than the entire population of Mississippi,” Ezell said in a press release on Jan. 29, 2024. “As a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, it’s my responsibility to ensure the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is keeping our nation safe and enforcing our border security laws.”
The House voted 214-213 to impeach Mayorkas, but the Senate failed to convict him on two counts.
Ezell also voted in favor of H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023, which sought to make various changes to immigration law, including imposing limits on asylum eligibility and requiring employers to use an electronic system for employment eligibility verification for new employees.
Following the death of Renee Good, an American citizen and mother of three who was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, 2026, Ezell released a statement backing the ICE agents who killed her.
“The incident in Minneapolis was entirely preventable. Unfortunately, the reckless and unlawful actions of Renee Good left U.S. ICE agents with no choice but to defend themselves and the officers supporting them. Forcefully blocking an active federal investigation is illegal. Using a vehicle in an attempt to strike law enforcement officers is illegal. These actions placed lives at risk and cannot be excused,” Ezell said in a press release on Jan. 8, 2026. “President Trump deployed U.S. ICE agents to Minneapolis to enforce federal immigration law. Americans are free to hold differing opinions on immigration policy, but the facts are clear: these officers were lawfully carrying out their duties under existing U.S. law.”
Renee Good’s family has filed a lawsuit against ICE agent Jonathan Ross and current and former members of the Trump administration for unjustified and excessive use of force. Federal officials have argued the ICE agents acted in self-defense, but policing experts have questioned the agents’ tactics toward Good.
Supporting Law Enforcement and Veterans
After serving for over four decades in law enforcement, Ezell says he “backs the blue” and will fight any efforts to defund the police, his campaign website says.
He voted “yes” on H.R. 31, the POLICE Act of 2025, a bill to make the assault of a law enforcement officer, firefighter or other first responder a deportable offense.
Ezell believes “the men and women of our military deserve our highest honor and respect, both during and after their service” and pledges to fight to ensure servicemen and women are protected, his campaign website says.
Ezell voted to pass the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the U.S. Defense Department’s annual funding bill which would raise servicemembers salaries, expand domestic production and increase defense resources to counter threats from countries like Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.
“The world is more dangerous than it has been in decades, and Congress has a responsibility to ensure our military remains the strongest and most capable fighting force on the planet,” Ezell said in a July 22, 2026 press release. “The FY2027 NDAA invests in our servicemembers, strengthens our national defense, rebuilds America’s defense industrial base, and delivers the resources needed to deter our adversaries. I’m proud to support legislation that puts our troops first, strengthens military readiness, and helps ensure the United States remains prepared to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.”
The Senate has not yet passed its version of the bill.
Supporting Pro-Life Legislation
For Rep. Mike Ezell, one of the top priorities of his campaign is to “protect our unborn children,” his campaign website says, noting as a proud Christian father he “firmly believes in the right to life of the unborn.” He also promises to fight to “put a stop to tax-payer funded abortions.”
Since being elected to Congress, Rep. Ezell has co-sponsored several bills aimed at decreasing access to abortion and has been a vocal supporter of the decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and returned the power to regulate or ban abortion to the states.
“I’m proud of our state’s historic role in the pro-life movement, including the landmark Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade,” Ezell said in a press release on Jan. 17, 2024. “Our state’s team of pro-life leaders have accomplished great things, and we’ll continue working together to protect life.”
He cosponsored H.R. 432, the Life at Conception Act, which declared the right to life begins at conception or fertilization. He also cosponsored H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act, which sought to prohibit the use of federal funds for abortions or health coverage that includes abortions, as well as H.R. 427, the SAVE Moms and Babies Act, which sought to prohibit the FDA from approving any new drugs intended to terminate a pregnancy and limit the prescription of currently approved drugs such as mifepristone.
The 2025 Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America National Pro-Life Scorecard, which measures lawmakers’ commitment to pro-life principles, gave Ezell an A+ rating. He’s also been endorsed by the National Right to Life, the nation’s largest pro-life organization.
“I’m honored to receive an A+ rating from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America,” Ezell said in a press release on Jan. 23, 2026. “Protecting innocent life is not just a political issue—it’s a moral responsibility. I will always stand up for the most vulnerable and work to advance a culture that values life at every stage. As a former law enforcement officer and sheriff, I’ve spent my career standing up for those who cannot protect themselves. That commitment doesn’t end in Washington.”
Environment and Infrastructure
Rep. Mike Ezell has been vocal about his opposition to the Army Corps of Engineers opening the Bonnet Carré Spillway.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened the Bonnet Carré Spillway twice in 2019 for a total of 123 days. The spillway dumped over 1.35 trillion cubic feet of freshwater into the Mississippi Sound—water polluted with fertilizer, manure and runoff from 31 states along the Mississippi River. The openings caused dangerous neuro-toxin producing algae blooms and permanent dead zones in the Sound that have affected Mississippi wildlife and seafood.
Members of the Mississippi Sound Coalition have warned the Mississippi Sound, which is the 90 miles of water along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, will be irreparably harmed within a generation unless corrective action is taken to protect it from future spillway openings.
Ezell voiced support for proposed plans to limit openings of the Bonnet Carré Spillway during a roundtable held by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Hospitality Resort Management Center on July 28, 2026.
He told the Mississippi Free Press in a July 28 interview that he hoped to take the information the Mississippi Sound Coalition shared during the listening session back to Washington “so that we can follow up and act on their request.”
He also voiced agreement with concerns expressed by the community regarding the Bonnet Carré Spillway’s aging infrastructure.
“I believe we need to embark on a new vision of infrastructure completely for the country,” Ezell told the Mississippi Free Press on July 28. “And we would start here.”
In the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Ezell led the passing of the bipartisan Post-Disaster Protection Act in the House, which would extend the deadline for applicants to appeal denials of FEMA disaster assistance from 60 days to 90 days. This would match the time FEMA has to review appeals.
“Communities across South Mississippi know firsthand that recovering from a natural disaster is difficult enough without unnecessary hurdles from the federal government,” Ezell said in a press release on Sept. 16, 2026. “The Post-Disaster Protection Act is a commonsense fix that gives families and local communities more time to navigate FEMA’s appeals process and make their case. If FEMA gets 90 days to review an appeal, disaster survivors deserve the same amount of time to submit one. I’m glad to see this bipartisan bill advance out of committee, and I look forward to working to get it across the finish line.”
Ezell also helped secure $27 million in Federal Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grants for two infrastructure projects in Mississippi’s 4th Congressional District. The grants included $22.1 million for the Mississippi Department of Transportation to improve freight technology and expand truck parking along I-10 in Hancock County and $5 for the City of D’Iberville to improve the Mallet Road Multimodal Corridor in Harrison County.
“These investments are a major win for South Mississippi and will strengthen our transportation infrastructure, improve public safety, and support continued economic growth across the Fourth District,” Ezell said in a press release on July 8, 2026. “As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I understand the importance of keeping goods moving efficiently through our ports, highways, and freight corridors. These projects will help reduce congestion, improve safety for commercial drivers and the traveling public, and ensure our communities are well-positioned for future growth.”
Seeking Reelection
President Trump, the Mississippi Republican party, and the NRA have all endorsed Ezell for reelection ahead of the 2026 midterms.
“As the former Sheriff of Jackson County and now Highly Respected U.S. Congressman, Mike strongly supports our incredible Law Enforcement, Military, and Veterans and knows the Wisdom and Courage it takes to Ensure LAW AND ORDER. In Congress, he is working tirelessly to Keep our now very Secure Border, SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Champion American Energy DOMINANCE, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment,” Trump shared in a Oct. 25, 2025 post on Truth Social. “Mike Ezell has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election—HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
Incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Ezell along with Democratic candidate Jeffrey Hulum III and independent candidate Carl Boyanton will be on Mississippians’ ballots for the 4th Congressional District in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Mississippians will vote for candidates running for federal, regional and local offices in the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Mississippians must have registered to vote by Oct. 5 to cast their ballot in the upcoming election. Check your voter registration by visiting sos.ms.gov or by calling your county circuit clerk’s office.
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