Republican Congressman Michael Guest is asking voters to judge him on his record as he seeks reelection to Congress this November.

But part of that record includes repeated votes against major infrastructure funding for Mississippi.

In November 2021, Guest voted against the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The law was expected to deliver approximately $4.46 billion to Mississippi over five years for roads, bridges, water systems, broadband, and other infrastructure.

And Mississippi desperately needed those investments.

At the time, nearly 6,000 miles of highway and more than 1,000 bridges were rated in poor condition.

Even prominent Republicans recognized the need.

In the Senate, 19 Republicans supported the legislation, including then-Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Mississippi’s own Roger Wicker.

Another 13 Republicans supported it in the House.

Wicker recognized that Mississippi stood to benefit from the investment, despite his disagreements with other provisions.

But Guest still voted no.

And the pattern continued.

In September 2022, Jackson, Mississippi was struggling with a catastrophic water crisis.

Guest voted against a funding bill containing $20 million to help repair the city’s water system.

Three months later, he voted against another spending package containing $600 million for Jackson’s water infrastructure.

Thankfully, both bills passed despite his opposition.

But Jackson continues to face costly infrastructure needs and financial challenges.

And the problem extends far beyond Jackson.

The cost of repairing aging infrastructure continues to rise nationwide.

The American Water Works Association estimates that utilities will need to nearly triple their pace of capital improvements over the next 25 years.

Federal assistance will become increasingly important, especially for rural communities that cannot afford these enormous expenses alone.

But Guest’s Democratic challenger, Michael A. Chiaradio, has made infrastructure a central part of his campaign.

His platform calls for modernizing rural utilities, strengthening energy grids, and improving transportation networks to support economic development.

Chiaradio’s agenda is a much better match for Mississippi’s substantial infrastructure needs.

Michael Guest now asks voters to judge him on his record.

And his repeated votes against major infrastructure investments for Mississippi are part of the record that voters should judge.