Guest heavily favored to win re-election in Mississippi’s 3rd Congressional District over Democrat, Libertarian challengers

Guest heavily favored to win.

Key points

• The incumbent additionally has a substantial financial advantage, reporting approximately $963, 000 cash on hand as of his June 30 filing with the Federal Election Commission.
• Independent candidate Carl Boyanton is accusing 4th District Congressman Mike Ezell of receiving illegal contributions.
• Guest heavily favored to win re-election in Mississippi's 3rd Congressional District over Democrat, Libertarian challengers.
• I'm not interested in defining myself by whether I agree or disagree with President Obama, President Trump, President Biden, Vice President Harris or any other national political figure.
• Mississippi's 3rd District Congressman Michael Guest (R) is seeking a fifth term in the U.S.

Guest heavily favored to win re-election in Mississippi's 3rd Congressional District over Democrat, Libertarian challengers. By: Cass Rutledge – September 24, 2026. Michael Chiaradio (left), Michael Guest (center), and Erik Kiehle (right).

Republican Congressman Michael Guest appears on pace to win a fifth term in the U.S. House despite the best effort from his Democrat opponent Michael Chiaradio. Meanwhile, the Libertarian Party has denounced the campaign of Erik Kiehle.

Mississippi's 3rd District Congressman Michael Guest (R) is seeking a fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives this year after first being elected in 2018.

Guest is the chairman of the House Ethics Committee, chairman of the Border Security and Enforcement Subcommittee of the Committee on Homeland Security, and serves on the House Appropriations Committee.

He is being challenged by Democrat nominee Michael Chiaradio, a former independent professional baseball league player turned regenerative farmer, and Libertarian nominee Erik Kiehle, a businessman.

Backed by Speaker Mike Johnson, the White House, and his fellow Republicans representing Mississippi in Washington D.C., Guest is at present the heavy favorite to win his re-election bid. The Cook Political Report rates the race as "Solid R."

Meanwhile, the incumbent additionally has a substantial financial advantage, reporting approximately $963, 000 cash on hand as of his June 30 filing with the Federal Election Commission.

Meanwhile, first-time candidate Chiaradio documented just over $23, 000 cash on hand. FEC records additionally show that Kiehle has not filed a campaign finance report. The Challengers and Their Parties.

Chiaradio has been fully embraced by the Mississippi Democratic Party. He has been seen actively campaigning both in and outside of the 3rd District. He has posted pictures to his social media alongside former Vice President Kamala Harris (D), Democrat nominee for U.S. Senate Scott Colom, fellow Democrat congressional candidate Cliff Johnson, and a number of Democrat state lawmakers.

Chiaradio additionally posted a photo of him in Starkville calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump (R).

For context, the Democrat has received endorsements from AFL-CIO and plenty of of the party's faithful. His messaging has centered on improving healthcare access, modernizing the energy grid and civil justice reforms. He has additionally expressed opposition to "indiscriminately subsidizing conventional data center construction."

Chiaradio has blamed state Republicans for district maps that "handcuff" voters, saying, "Mississippi may have one of the most gerrymandered political systems in the country."

"Republicans have hurt our state, shrunk our economy, and left working families behind, " Chiaradio remarked. Congressman Guest draws Democrat challenger in 3rd District midterm race.

As for Kiehle, his campaign has been denounced by the Libertarian Party of Mississippi over statements created by the candidate related to Hitler and Nazism. One comment Kiehle posted remarked, "Nazis were patriots who loved their country. Why hate on patriots?"

Meanwhile, the Libertarian Party remarked in May that Kiehle's statements do not represent their party, its membership, or its values.

"Advocating administration coercion against peaceful residents or praising authoritarian ideologies isn't libertarianism – it's authoritarianism. Mississippi state law states that political parties do not determine who runs under their banner. According to Mississippi Code § 23-15-291, 'All nominations. Shall be created by primary elections, '" the Libertarian Party posted to Facebook. "The state party did not choose this candidate to run for office."

Kiehle defended the statement in a comment on the Libertarian Party's Facebook page, saying, "Nazi refers to a political party in Germany. Using it as a slur to attack other LP members and delegates is something I find objectionable. My comment was not created in the open, on a public page, to in any way suggest I backing or condemn a political party that ceased to exist 80 years ago. My comment was meant as a way to open discussion as to why 'Nazi' is a lazy slur applied by low-IQ individuals when they can't articulate coherent arguments. I stand by the factual statement. Those Germans who fought on behalf of their nation were patriots to their country. We honor our veterans as patriots, and so does every other nation."

As well as what they hope to accomplish in the next Congress, and what sets them apart from the other candidates, magnolia Tribune was able to discuss policy platforms with Guest and Chiaradio. The Kiehle campaign did not respond to a number of requests for comment.

According to Congressman Guest, his platform focuses on strengthening the economy and securing the border.

"It's significant that we produce tax cuts permanent so that there is no tax on Social Security benefits, tips, or overtime work. In Congress, I will always work for more tax relief for families who deserve to keep more of their funds, not more for the administration, " Guest noted. "Additionally, we've made progress on securing our border to stop the flow of illegal immigration and narcotics from entering our country but now is not the time to let down our guard."

According to Chiaradio additionally, his campaign is focused on economics, outlining a number of areas he believes need improvement but stopping short of identifying a single policy to achieve that goal.

"I am primarily focused on economics, and I believe Mississippi can and should become a national leader in productivity. There is no single policy that will accomplish that. We need a blend of sustained investments, " Chiaradio remarked. "But the core of my platform is improving our healthcare system, bringing jobs and investment to Mississippi through major water, energy and transportation infrastructure projects, and reducing unnecessary barriers so small businesses and small farmers have greater access to markets and capital."

In the next Congress, Guest emphasized that his connections and experience are needed to keep good momentum going for Mississippi.

"I want to continue to employ my position to advocate for the residents of Mississippi, and to create our state a great place to live, worship and raise a family. I will employ my relationships with leadership and the administration, and my position on the Appropriations Committee, to promote Mississippi's interest and build on our economic success, " Guest stated. "It's critically important that we continue this momentum to grow our economy and create more high-paying jobs across our state."

Chiaradio, by contrast, remarked that in the next Congress, if elected, he would "lead with common sense" and attempt to break the "toxic divisions" of a gridlocked legislative body.

"I don't consider myself classically liberal or conservative. I think of myself as situational. I'm willing to take a liberal or conservative approach depending on what I believe will produce the best result, " Chiaradio remarked. "For example, I may favor greater public investment in healthcare while additionally supporting low taxes and robust border security. To me, the labels are less significant than whether a policy works. I try to approach policy like finding the best move on a chessboard. I stress-test my ideas and create intelligent midcourse adjustments as new information comes in."

On what separates him from Chiaradio and Kiehle, Congressman Guest pointed to his "conservative record of getting results for the people of Mississippi."

"Prior to being elected to Congress, I had the honor of serving as a District Attorney to prosecute crime and put violent offenders behind bars. During that time, I worked closely with victims, their families and law enforcement to create our communities safer, " Guest stated. "I know the importance of safe communities and what that means to our overall quality of life. My longtime and steadfast commitment to the men and women in law enforcement gives me a unique perspective in Congress on problems involving public safety. When radicals propose outrageous ideas such as defunding the police, ending incarceration for violent offenders and abolishing federal law enforcement agencies, I will always stand solid to backing law and order in our communities."

Chiaradio remarked what separates him from his Republican and Libertarian opponents is that although he is "loyal to the Mississippi Democratic Party, " he does not "fit perfectly into either party's ideological framework."

Chiaradio further pleaded with voters to judge him based on his ideas, not just his party label.

"I'm not interested in defining myself by whether I agree or disagree with President Obama, President Trump, President Biden, Vice President Harris or any other national political figure. I obtained involved in politics as I had my own ideas regarding where the country should go, and I want to chart my own course, " Chiaradio remarked. "I'm also willing to disagree publicly with my own party and I have a record of doing so despite criticism from Democrats."

For context, the General Election in Mississippi is on Tuesday, November 3. Absentee voting is now open. Regarding the Author(s).

Cass Rutledge is a law student at the University of Mississippi. A native of Madison, Mississippi, he now resides in Oxford with his wife, Julie. News Frank Corder September 22, 2026.

Boyanton swipes at Ezell over campaign contributions. Ezell's camp calls it "a political stunt".

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In short, guest heavily favored to win re-election in Mississippi’ s 3rd Congressional District over is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.