Incumbent
MS-02 Democratic nominee?
$8.8K
MAR 17, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleU.S. Representative
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyLiberal Democrat
Age78 years old (Jan 28, 1948)
GenderMale
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LocationMississippi
BackgroundPolitician
EducationTougaloo College — B.A., 1968
Notable personal detailsBennie Gordon Thompson is a U.S. Representative for Mississippi's 2nd congressional district, first elected in a special election in 1993. He has served as chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security and later as ranking member. Before Congress, he served in local government in Mississippi and worked as an educator. He earned degrees from Tougaloo College and Jackson State University.
SourcesShowHide
Positions
Economy & Taxes
Bennie Thompson has voted against major Republican tax-cut legislation and has criticized such bills as benefiting the top 1 percent rather than working families. His official congressional materials and public statements emphasize protecting middle- and lower-income taxpayers and opposing tax measures that he says disproportionately help wealthy individuals and corporations.
Healthcare
Supports expanding access to affordable health care, protecting and building on the Affordable Care Act, and improving access for rural and low-income Mississippians through measures such as Medicaid support and outreach to enroll the uninsured. Emphasizes preserving coverage for people with pre-existing conditions and strengthening rural health services.
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Immigration & Border
Bennie Thompson has criticized restrictive immigration policies and treatment of migrants, advocated for oversight of DHS/ICE, and urged protections for asylum seekers while supporting measures to strengthen border security within a reform framework.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
Supports legal access to abortion and reproductive rights and opposes overturning Roe v. Wade; has voted for federal protections of abortion access and received high ratings from reproductive-rights groups.
Climate & Energy
Bennie Thompson has supported local clean-and-efficient energy projects and economic development tied to energy, while also opposing or criticizing some federal emissions rules seen as harmful to Mississippi’s energy economy. His congressional record includes pro-environment votes in past years alongside more recent roll-call items and public statements that reflect balancing regional economic and energy concerns.
Public Safety & Guns
Supports strengthened gun-safety laws including expanded/universal background checks, an assault-weapons ban, measures to address ghost guns, and federal steps to keep firearms from people judged dangerous. Has voted for bipartisan and Democratic gun-safety bills.
News
Bennie Thompson is being pulled into Mississippi’s new redistricting fight, as Republicans consider redrawing maps that could eliminate his majority-Black congressional seat. Gov. Tate Reeves has said he wants to target Thompson’s seat, and the state may try to make changes before the 2026 election cycle. Thompson has also warned that the Supreme Court’s recent voting-rights ruling could make it easier to weaken majority-Black districts across the South.
How this age of extreme gerrymandering is transforming American politics
Rep. Thompson Vows Fight as VRA Ruling Reshapes South
How the voting rights decision may block the rise of young Black leaders
Mississippi redistricting maps explained
Endorsements
Endorsers of Bennie Thompson for MS-02 Democratic nominee?
American Federation of Government Employees
Public endorsement
American Federation of Government Employees endorsed Bennie Thompson for reelection to the U.S. House.
Fundraising
Latest report: Cycle 20262022
2024
2026
LatestCycle 2022
Cycle 2024
Cycle 2026
Source: FEC
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Polls