Representative Steven Palazzo is forced into a runoff in Mississippi.

Representative Steven Palazzo, a Mississippi Republican going through an ethics investigation, will head to a runoff election after failing to win 50 p.c of votes in his occasion’s main contest on Tuesday, in line with The Associated Press.

In 2021, the Office of Congressional Ethics launched a report that stated Mr. Palazzo had used marketing campaign funds to pay himself and his spouse on the time almost $200,000. He reportedly used the money to make enhancements on a riverside property that he hoped to promote. The House Ethics Committee is still investigating the allegations described in the report. Mr. Palazzo’s office has denied the allegations and has prompt the investigation is politically motivated.

Ethical inquiries weren’t the congressman’s solely concern in the first contest. He skipped out on each debates for main candidates. In one occasion, his marketing campaign reportedly informed debate organizers that Mr. Palazzo needed to attend nationwide safety conferences. Later that night, Mr. Palazzo posted a image on social media of himself at dinner together with his son.

Mr. Palazzo has represented the state’s Fourth Congressional District, together with the Mississippi Gulf Coast, since 2011, after he unseated a 10-term Democrat.

The Associated Press had not but referred to as the second-place finisher in the race. Mr. Palazzo’s main opponents embrace Mike Ezell, a longtime police officer who has served as sheriff in Jackson County since 2014, and Clay Wagner, a businessman.