Steven McCarty Palazzo ( pə-LAH-zoh; born February 21, 1970) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Mississippi's 4th congressional district from 2011 to 2023. The district included Mississippi's Gulf Coast, Biloxi, Gulfport, Pascagoula, Laurel and Hattiesburg. Palazzo is a member of the Republican Party. Palazzo defeated 10-term Democratic incumbent Gene Taylor, 52%-47%, in 2010. He represented District 116 in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 2006 to 2011. Palazzo lost renomination to Mike Ezell in the June 28, 2022, Republican primary.