AP Covers 1st District Race

Laurel Leader Call:

If you listen to Mississippi Democrats long enough, they’ll have you thinking a rising tide is going to sweep another member of their party to Capitol Hill.

They point to Democratic gains in the Mississippi Legislature and the Democrat-controlled Congress.

Certainly, they reason, voters in the state want to align themselves with the political majority in Washington, and ostensibly have more of a say in the nation’s policies through those they elect.

Mississippi has two open seats in the U.S. House. One in the state’s 1st District and the other in the 3rd District.

It would be a sucker’s bet that Democrats could win 3rd District since it encompasses a heavily Republican constituency.

That’s why Democrats are focusing on the 1st District.

Mississippi already has two Democratic congressmen — U.S. Reps. Bennie Thompson and Gene Taylor. The state’s Republican congressmen, U.S. Reps. Chip Pickering and Roger Wicker, are leaving their posts.

Pickering, who represents the 3rd District, announced that he wouldn’t seek re-election this year. Gov. Haley Barbour last week appointed Wicker, who represents the 1st District, to the seat left vacant with the retirement of U.S. Sen. Trent Lott, another Republican.

Wicker will serve until a special election is held Nov. 4, and then he’ll be a candidate in that election to serve out the remainder of Lott’s term, which runs through 2012.

Democrats see this as the optimal time to win back the 1st District, held by powerhouse Democrat Jamie Whitten for more than half a century before Wicker was elected in 1994.

First elected in 1941, Whitten reached the pinnacle of his influence in 1979, when he was selected by his colleagues as chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee. Whitten also chaired the House agricultural subcommittee.

The Democrats are banking on history to win a slice of the state’s congressional future. Never mind that the Republican Wicker has been re-elected six times in the north Mississippi region.

Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Dowdy, a former congressman himself, said the party would field “strong” candidates in the 1st District.

Potential Democratic contenders mentioned for the 1st District are state Rep. Steve Holland of Plantersville, former state Rep. Jamie Franks of Mooreville and Prentiss County chancery clerk Travis Childers of Booneville.

Republicans resolve to retain the district.

“It’s very important that we do maintain that as a Republican seat because this has national implications ... particularly in the House of Representatives where we want to regain control,” said Mississippi GOP Chairman Jim Herring.

Republicans considering a run for the district include former Tupelo Mayor Glenn McCullough, who is also a former member of the board of the Tennessee Valley Authority; state Sen. Alan Nunnelee of Tupelo and Southaven Mayor Greg Davis.

Dowdy acknowledged the 3rd District will be “a little more difficult” for his party to win. The district was redrawn earlier this decade after the state lost a congressional seat. Democrats said the plan favored Pickering, who defeated U.S. Rep. Ronnie Shows, D-Miss., in 2002.

Some GOP candidates for Pickering’s seat are former state Sen. Charlie Ross of Brandon, Madison County businessman David Landrum, former Pickering aide John Rounsaville of Madison and Gregg Harper, an attorney from Pearl.

The only known Democrat in the 3rd District is Joel Gill, a cattle broker from Pickens.

The Southern Political Report Profiles The 1st District Race

The Southern Political Report:

Mississippi: Many Contenders for Wicker Seat

By Hastings Wyman
Southern Political Report

http://www.southernpoliticalreport.com/storylink_17_112.aspx

January 7, 2008 — The elevation of seven-term US Rep. Roger Wicker (R) to the US Senate has left a congressional vacancy in Mississippi’s 1st District (Tupelo, etc.) and there’s no lack of politicos expressing interest in the job. With the re-election rate of congressional incumbents in the 98% range, a vacancy is often a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for ambitious lawmakers, as is apparent from the long list of potential candidates.

President Bush carried the district with 62% in 2004; the district is 71% white, 26% black, so a Republican is likely, though not a foregone conclusion. Geography could play a role in the primaries or the election; many voters outside of Tupelo, the largest and most prosperous town in the district, resent the city and may consciously choose a candidate who hails from elsewhere in the district. “People get tired of Tupelo looking down its nose at them,” says one source.

Here are the contenders who are already running, are considering the race, or are getting mentioned in the media as possible candidates.

The Republicans:

Greg Davis, 41, mayor of Southhaven, the fastest growing municipality in the state, was first out of the starting gate, announcing on November 28, before Wicker’s Senate appointment, that he was preparing to run in the event a vacancy occurred. On December 31, he filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and has begun organizing a campaign for both the unexpired term and the full two-year term. Davis has been mayor for eleven years and before that, was a member of the state house of representatives for six years. He has an engineering degree from Mississippi State. He is one of the top contenders, with the experience, background and outgoing personality that make for a good campaigner. He would have draw especially well in the northwestern part of the district.

Glenn McCullough, 52, a former mayor of Tupelo, made his kickoff announcement in four stops throughout the district on January 2. He is a past chairman of the board of the Tennessee Valley Authority, which the district’s electricity provider. He also served as director of the Appalachian Regional Commission. McCullough was elected mayor of Tupelo, the district’s largest city, in 1997 with 61% of the vote. Like Davis, he is well-qualified for the job, is personable and is well-liked. McCullough would be popular in the eastern part of the district.

State Sen. Alan Nunnelee, 49, is a 13-year veteran of the state’s upper legislative chamber, where he chairs the Public Health and Welfare Committee and is slated to become chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee when the legislature convenes on January 8. Nunnelee, who is from Tupelo, also chairs the “Taxpayer Protection Caucus” in the state senate, a group of nine senators who signed a pledge of Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform that committed him to “oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes.” Nunnelee has not entered the race, but told the Biloxi Sun-Herald that he is “seriously considering” running. He is a businessman (insurance). While not as well-known as some of the other contenders, he is smart, energetic and has a successful business background.

Brad Prewitt, a Tupelo attorney and a former staff member for US Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) has expressed interest in the race. According to the Sun Herald, Prewitt’s wife is expecting twins in February, which is affecting his decision. If he does run, he would not be as strong a candidate as Davis or McCullough, in part because he has not lived in the district very long.

Dr. Randy Russell, an Oxford ophthalmologist and a former member of the state board of health, is looking at the race. Russell has long been active in Republican Party affairs. He was a strong supporter of former Mississippi governor Kirk Fordice (R). He has indicated that he plans to run, though he isn’t likely to be strong district-wide.

The Democrats:

Travis Childers, 49, who has served as chancery clerk for Prentiss County (Booneville) for five terms, announced his candidacy on January 2. Childers is the owner of Travis Childers Real Estate in Booneville and also owns, with his family, a nursing home and related facilities. One source describes Childers as “the dark horse in the race,” noting that he is “a savvy politician who is extraordinarily well-connected” with chancery clerks and other court house officials throughout the district. “He’s a popular public figure,” continues this observer, who notes that Childers could benefit from anti-Tupelo sentiment in parts of the district.

State Rep. Jamie Franks, 35, a hard-charging populist, ran an attention-getting race for lieutenant governor in 2007, in which he promised to stand up “to the special interests and sweetheart deals that get in the way of what Mississippi families need.” Although his campaign was unsuccessful, it should give him significant name ID in the district. While Franks got 41% of the statewide vote against Phil Bryant (R), he ran marginally better in the 1st District, garnering 44%. He did not, however, carry Lee County, his home bailiwick. Franks has not announced, but in a recent interview with the Clarion Ledger, he sounded like he would not run. For starters, he might have difficulty raising the necessary funds immediately following a losing statewide campaign.

State Rep. Steve Holland, 52, has indicated in the media that he will seek the seat. He has served in the state house of representatives for 28 years, where he has earned a reputation for being a very effective lawmaker, and gets re-elected by overwhelming majorities. Holland, from Plantersville, chairs the Public Health and Human Services Committee and co-chairs the Select Committee on Accessible and Affordable Medical Malpractice Insurance. He is a farmer and a funeral home owner. He is well-known across the district, in part for being flamboyant, which some folks regard as a plus, others as a minus.

Brian Neely, a Tupelo lawyer, announced his candidacy on January 2. Neely is a former county attorney for Lee County (Tupelo). He is a former Marine Corps captain.

State Sen. Gray Tollison, 43, who chairs the upper chamber’s Judiciary Committee, was once on the staff of the late US Sen. Stennis (D-MS). A progressive young lawmaker, Tollison, from Oxford, “is a polished, urbane, cosmopolitan person,” says one observer. He is well-liked in the legislature. Tollison in a recent speech noted that he was “part of the first generation of white Southerners to attend integrated schools in the South. It has made a difference in my life.” He also praised President Lyndon Johnson for believing “that racism was not only dividing blacks from whites but also dividing the South from the rest of the nation. By freeing people from its scourge, everyone in the region would have a better chance to grow.” He and his wife are successful attorneys. Tollison has not indicated whether he will enter the race, but if he does, he could be a significant factor.

The filing deadline for the full two year term is January 11, so candidates must act quickly if they decide to run. The primary is on March 11 and the General Election is on November 4. Gov. Haley Barbour (R) has not yet called a special election for the remainder of Wicker’s term, but says he will do so within the next 60 days. It should be around the same time as the regular primary, but will be a non-partisan election, with a runoff between the top two, regardless of party. The two-election scenario may prove confusing to candidates and to voters.

Good analysis all around.

Alan Nunnelee: He Like Baseball

Count:
- Conservative: 2
- Values: 4
- Character: 1
- Christian: 1

Will Bardwell asks a good question when he asks where exactly is he going here:


Bardwell:

... WillBardwell.com finds itself confounded by another question: at the end of the ad, why is Nunnelee walking toward the outfield fence? Did he hide his bicycle in one of those bushes? Did he stay after practice saving that young lad's soul that the Tupelo parks service locked them in? Did someone leave him a new pack of tube socks in center field?

Hey, I've coached basketball, I'm Christian, and I've got values; can I be a Senator? (age limit not withstanding)