Michael Guest topped opponent Whitt Hughes in the Republican U.S. District 3 Representative runoff on Tuesday, June 26. Guest defeated Hughes with 31,121 votes (65.09 percent) to 16,691 votes (34.91 percent). Guest also won the majority in Newton County, gaining 611 votes (54.7 percent) to Hughes’ 505 votes (45.21 percent).
Guest made a campaign stop in Decatur on Friday, June 22 at the American Legion Post No. 89 Hut.
He will move on to face Democrat state Rep. Michael T. Evans (District 45) in the general election this November for the seat that is being vacated by Gregg Harper.
In the Democratic U.S. Senate runoff, state Rep. David Baria (District 122) pulled out the victory over challenger Meridian entrepreneur Howard Sherman. Baria won with 43,402 votes (58.65 percent) to Sherman’s 30,598 votes (41.35 percent). However, Newton County voters chose Sherman on Tuesday with the Meridian businessman winning 272 votes (62.39 percent) to Baria’s 164 votes (37.61 percent).
Baria will move on to take on incumbent Roger Wicker in November.
