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Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., pushed back against accusations of having been in office too long ahead of a primary race against challenger Evan Turnage and amid broader conversations in the Democratic Party on age and leadership.
Turnage, 33, needled Thompson’s extensive tenure in Congress, noting in a campaign ad that the incumbent had served in office for the vast majority of his life.
“We live in the poorest district in the poorest state in the country. That was true when I was one when our congressman was first elected. It’s true today,” Turnage said.
“If our congressman’s 33 years in office had helped build up this district, built health and wealth in this district, there would be no need for change.”
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Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., is seen before a House Homeland Security Committee on January 10, 2024 in Washington, D.C. ((Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images))
Thompson, 78, fired back on Monday.
“Elections are about giving people a choice, and I respect that process,” Thompson said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“I have always run my campaigns by focusing on the needs of the people of Mississippi’s Second Congressional District and the work we’ve done together.”
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Turnage’s focus on Thompson’s tenure comes as several senior Democrats have announced that 2026 will be their last year in office.
The Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker Emerita, U.S. House of Representatives, speaks onstage during the 2025 Concordia Annual Summit at Sheraton New York Times Square on Sept. 23, 2025 in New York City. (Riccardo Savi/Getty Images for Concordia Annual Summit)
Among them, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and her second-in-commander Steny Hoyer, D-Md., have both announced they will not pursue another term come the…
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