By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent
Jackson, Mississippi native Evan Turnage, a 33-year-old antitrust lawyer and former top Senate counsel, formally entered the race for Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District on December 17, setting up a Democratic primary challenge to longtime incumbent Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson in the March 10, 2026, election.
Turnage, who grew up in Jackson after being born in Cleveland, Mississippi, launched his campaign by drawing attention to persistent economic hardship in the district, which remains one of the poorest in the nation. In announcing his candidacy, Turnage said the district was the poorest in the poorest state when he was born and remains so more than three decades later, arguing that generational economic stagnation has forced families to watch loved ones leave the state in search of opportunity.
Turnage appeared on Let It Be Known News for his first interview since entering the race, discussing his decision to run, his roots in Mississippi, and his belief that the district needs new leadership focused on economic opportunity, accountability, and helping Mississippians build stable lives at home.
Turnage brings extensive federal policy experience to the race. He previously served as chief counsel to then Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and as senior counsel to Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, where he helped craft major legislative proposals, including the No Kings Act, which argued that presidents do not have immunity for criminal actions, and the Price Gouging Prevention Act, later adopted as part of Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential platform.
A graduate of Murrah High School, Morehouse College and Yale Law School, Turnage has also worked in the private sector at Kirkland & Ellis, where he handled pro bono cases focused on expunging wrongful criminal records to help individuals regain employment eligibility. He currently leads the Southern Justice Project at the Open Markets Institute; an initiative aimed at strengthening economic and political power in Black Belt communities.
“I’ve dedicated my life to leveling the playing field so people can not only get by, but get ahead, and raise a family right here,” Turnage said in announcing his campaign, adding that he is seeking to make it easier for Mississippians to return home and build lasting opportunity in the district.
