Steven Palazzo

Palazzo entered the Republican Primary for Mississippi's 4th congressional district and won the nomination with 57% of the vote.

He faced 10-term Democratic incumbent Gene Taylor in the general election.

Steven McCarty Palazzo (born February 21, 1970) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for MS's 4th congressional district from 2011 to 2023.

The district included Mississippi's Gulf Coast, Biloxi, Gulfport, Pascagoula, Laurel and Hattiesburg.

Palazzo is a member of the Republican Party.

Palazzo was born on February 21, 1970, in Gulfport.

He graduated from Saint John High School in 1988.

Palazzo enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1988, and served with the 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company in the Persian Gulf War.

He now serves in the Mississippi Army National Guard.

He received a Bachelor's of business administration and MPA in public accountancy from the University of Southern Mississippi, and is a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.

He is a Certified Public Accountant.

Although the 4th district had turned almost solidly Republican at the federal level, Taylor had held the seat without serious difficulty since 1996.

His voting record had been very conservative even by Mississippi Democratic standards, and he had often broken with his party.

Palazzo established himself as Taylor's strongest opponent since 1996.

He represented District 116 in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 2006 to 2011.

Palazzo lost renomination to Mike Ezell in the June 28, 2022, Republican Primary.

In April 2006, incumbent Republican State Representative Leonard Bentz of Mississippi's 116th House District resigned because he was appointed to the Mississippi Public Service Commission.

Palazzo sought election to the vacated seat, defeating Democratic candidate Maryann Graczyk, an education lobbyist, and Republican George Emile, a funeral home director, 51%–26%–24%.

In particular, he attacked Taylor for supporting Nancy Pelosi for House Speaker in 2006 and 2008.

He was endorsed by Sarah Palin and defeated Taylor, 52%–47%.

In the Republican Primary, Palazzo defeated two challengers with 74% of the vote.

In the general election, he defeated Democratic nominee Matthew Moore, 64%–29%.

In the Republican Primary, Palazzo faced his predecessor, Taylor, and three other challengers.

Taylor switched parties in a bid to return to his former seat, actively campaigning and drawing large numbers of Democrats into the Republican Primary.

Palazzo was targeted by the Club for Growth.

Palazzo won 50.5% of the vote to Taylor's 43%.

In 2007, running unopposed, he was elected to a full term.

Palazzo served on the Banking and Financial Services, Juvenile Justice, Labor, Select Committee on the Gulf Coast Disaster, and the Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Committees.

Palazzo defeated 10-term Democratic incumbent Gene Taylor, 52%-47%, in 2010.

In the general election, Palazzo easily defeated his 2012 general-election opponent, Matt Moore, 69.9% to 24.3%; four minor party or independent candidates received 3.8% of the vote.

In the Republican Primary, Palazzo ran unopposed for the first time in his political career.

In the general election, Palazzo won 65.2% of the vote, defeating Democratic nominee Mark Gladney and two minor candidates.

In the June 5 Republican Primary, Palazzo defeated E. Brian Rose, 70.5% to 29.5%.

He won the general election over Democratic state Representative Jeramey Anderson, 68.2% to 30.7%, with Lajena Sheets of the Reform Party taking 1% of the vote.

In the June 3 Primary, Palazzo ran against Robert Deming, Samuel Hickman and Carl Boyanton.

He won with 66.8% of the vote, with Deming finishing second with 14.1%.

He was unopposed in the general election for the first time in his career.

Palazzo lost renomination to Mike Ezell in the June 28, 2022, Republican Primary.

Palazzo voted with his Republican colleagues to pass a balanced budget amendment and repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

In 2015, Palazzo cosponsored a resolution to amend the Constitution to ban same-sex marriage.