Mike Ezell

Walter Michael Ezell (/ˈiˌzɛl/ EE-zel; born April 6, 1959) is an American former law enforcement officer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Mississippi's 4th congressional district since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the sheriff of Jackson County from 2014 to 2022, where he focused on eliminating corruption and modernizing law enforcement operations.

A native of Pascagoula, Mississippi, Ezell earned a degree in criminal justice from the University of Southern Mississippi while attending night school. He began his law enforcement career in 1980 as a patrolman and later held leadership roles in the Pascagoula Police Department, the Ocean Springs Police Department, and the district attorney’s office. After winning a special election for sheriff in 2014, he was twice re-elected before entering Congress.

Ezell defeated incumbent representative Steven Palazzo in the 2022 Republican primary runoff amid ethics concerns surrounding Palazzo’s campaign finances. In Congress, he has focused on law enforcement funding, border security, and military support. He won re-election in 2024 by a wide margin and, for the 119th Congress, serves on the House Natural Resources and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees, chairing the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.