Mississippi's 1st congressional district special election, 2008
Encyclopedia
- This is an article about the U.S. House seat formerly held by Roger WickerRoger WickerRoger Frederick Wicker is the junior U.S. Senator from Mississippi and a member of the Republican Party. In December 2007 he was appointed by Governor Haley Barbour to fill the seat vacated by Trent Lott. He subsequently won the 2008 special election for the remainder of the term. Wicker served...
. For the election article regarding the general U.S. House election in Mississippi, see United States House of Representatives elections in Mississippi, 2008United States House of Representatives elections in Mississippi, 2008The 2008 congressional elections in Mississippi were held on November 4, 2008 to determine who will represent the state of Mississippi in the United States House of Representatives...
.
The 2008 Mississippi 1st congressional district special election was a special election in the state of Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
to determine who would serve the remainder of former Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Roger Wicker
Roger Wicker
Roger Frederick Wicker is the junior U.S. Senator from Mississippi and a member of the Republican Party. In December 2007 he was appointed by Governor Haley Barbour to fill the seat vacated by Trent Lott. He subsequently won the 2008 special election for the remainder of the term. Wicker served...
's term. After an April 22, 2008 ballot resulted in no candidate receiving a majority, Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate Travis Childers
Travis Childers
Travis Wayne Childers is the former U.S. Representative from , serving from the 2008 special election until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes much of the northern portion of the state including New Albany, Columbus, Oxford, Southaven, and Tupelo...
defeated Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate Greg Davis
Greg Davis (Mississippi politician)
For other persons with these names, see Greg Davis and Charles Davis.Charles Gregory "Greg" Davis is the mayor of Southaven, Mississippi, the state's third largest city, and was the Republican Party nominee for Mississippi's 1st congressional district in the 2008 special and general elections.-...
in a runoff election on May 13, 2008.
Candidates
- Travis ChildersTravis ChildersTravis Wayne Childers is the former U.S. Representative from , serving from the 2008 special election until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes much of the northern portion of the state including New Albany, Columbus, Oxford, Southaven, and Tupelo...
, Prentiss CountyPrentiss County, Mississippi-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 25,556 people, 9,821 households, and 7,169 families residing in the county. The population density was 62 people per square mile . There were 10,681 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
Clerk - Steve HollandSteve HollandSteve Holland was an American actor and male paperback, magazine, and fashion model. Holland played Flash Gordon in the 1954 television series of the same name. The television show ran 39 episodes...
, Mississippi State RepresentativeMississippi House of RepresentativesThe Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi.... - Marshall Coleman
- Brian H. Neely
- Ken Hurt, 2006United States House of Representatives elections in Mississippi, 2006The Mississippi U.S. House elections took place on November 7, 2006. All 4 House seats for Mississippi were up for election with all incumbents running for re-election. All incumbents succeeded in being re-elected.-Overview:...
Democratic nominee for Mississippi's 1st congressional districtMississippi's 1st congressional districtMississippi's 1st congressional district is in the northeast corner of the state. It includes much of the northern portion of the state including Columbus, Grenada, Oxford, Southaven, and Tupelo....
Results
Runoff Results
Candidates
- Greg DavisGreg DavisGreg Davis may refer to:*Greg Davis , American football coach, ex-offensive coordinator of the Texas Longhorns*Greg Davis Jr., Comedian* Greg Davis , Member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Canada....
, Mayor of SouthavenSouthaven, Mississippi-Households And Families:As of the census of 2000, there were 28,977 people, 11,007 households, and 8,134 families residing in the city. The population density was 857.9 people per square mile...
and former Mississippi State RepresentativeMississippi House of RepresentativesThe Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi.... - Glenn McCulloughGlenn McCulloughGlenn L. McCullough, Jr. is a businessman, former Mayor of Tupelo, Mississippi, former chair of the Tennessee Valley Authority. McCullough lost the Republican nomination for Mississippi's 2008 1st congressional district special election.McCullough is a sixth generation Mississippian...
, former Mayor of TupeloTupelo, MississippiTupelo is the largest city in and the county seat of Lee County, Mississippi, United States. It is the seventh largest city in the state of Mississippi, smaller than Meridian, and larger than Greenville. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city's population was 34,211... - Randy Russell, opthalmologist
Results
Runoff results
Candidates
- Travis ChildersTravis ChildersTravis Wayne Childers is the former U.S. Representative from , serving from the 2008 special election until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes much of the northern portion of the state including New Albany, Columbus, Oxford, Southaven, and Tupelo...
, Prentiss CountyPrentiss County, Mississippi-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 25,556 people, 9,821 households, and 7,169 families residing in the county. The population density was 62 people per square mile . There were 10,681 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
Clerk (D) - Greg DavisGreg DavisGreg Davis may refer to:*Greg Davis , American football coach, ex-offensive coordinator of the Texas Longhorns*Greg Davis Jr., Comedian* Greg Davis , Member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Canada....
, Mayor of SouthavenSouthaven, Mississippi-Households And Families:As of the census of 2000, there were 28,977 people, 11,007 households, and 8,134 families residing in the city. The population density was 857.9 people per square mile...
and former Mississippi State RepresentativeMississippi House of RepresentativesThe Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi.... - John M. Wages Jr., former member of the Lee CountyLee County, Mississippi-National protected areas:* Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site* Natchez Trace Parkway * Tupelo National Battlefield-History:On September 20, 1816, General Andrew Jackson, David Meriwether, and the Chickasaw Nation signed the Treaty of Chickasaw Council House in Lee County.Lee County was...
Election Commission - Wally Pang, BatesvilleBatesville, MississippiBatesville is a city in Panola County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 7,113 at the 2000 census.-History:The Land upon which present day Batesville is situated originally belonged to a Chickasaw Indian called Ish-Sho-Nu-Nah...
restaurant owner
Campaign
On December 31, 2007, Mississippi governor Haley BarbourHaley Barbour
Haley Reeves Barbour is an American Republican politician currently serving as the 63rd Governor of Mississippi. He gained a national spotlight in August 2005 after Mississippi was hit by Hurricane Katrina. Barbour won re-election as Governor in 2007...
appointed Roger Wicker
Roger Wicker
Roger Frederick Wicker is the junior U.S. Senator from Mississippi and a member of the Republican Party. In December 2007 he was appointed by Governor Haley Barbour to fill the seat vacated by Trent Lott. He subsequently won the 2008 special election for the remainder of the term. Wicker served...
to the Senate seat vacated 13 days earlier by Sen. Trent Lott
Trent Lott
Chester Trent Lott, Sr. , is a former United States Senator from Mississippi and has served in numerous leadership positions in the House of Representatives and the Senate....
. At the time of his appointment, Wicker was already a U.S. Representative for Mississippi's District 1. As a result of Wicker's appointment to the Senate, his House seat became vacant, necessitating a special election to determine who would serve the remainder of Wicker's term.
covers the northeastern part of the state, including the cities of Columbus
Columbus, Mississippi
Columbus is a city in Lowndes County, Mississippi, United States that lies above the Tombigbee River. It is approximately northeast of Jackson, north of Meridian, south of Tupelo, northwest of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and west of Birmingham, Alabama. The population was 25,944 at the 2000 census...
, Grenada
Grenada, Mississippi
Grenada is a city in Grenada County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 14,879 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Grenada County.-History:...
, Oxford
Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford is a city in, and the county seat of, Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1835, it was named after the British university city of Oxford in hopes of having the state university located there, which it did successfully attract....
, Southaven
Southaven, Mississippi
-Households And Families:As of the census of 2000, there were 28,977 people, 11,007 households, and 8,134 families residing in the city. The population density was 857.9 people per square mile...
, and Tupelo
Tupelo, Mississippi
Tupelo is the largest city in and the county seat of Lee County, Mississippi, United States. It is the seventh largest city in the state of Mississippi, smaller than Meridian, and larger than Greenville. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city's population was 34,211...
. The district had been represented by Republican Roger Wicker
Roger Wicker
Roger Frederick Wicker is the junior U.S. Senator from Mississippi and a member of the Republican Party. In December 2007 he was appointed by Governor Haley Barbour to fill the seat vacated by Trent Lott. He subsequently won the 2008 special election for the remainder of the term. Wicker served...
since 1995. The district has demonstrated itself to be "reliably conservative" in past elections, with George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
winning the district by 25 points in the 2004 presidential election. Early speculation had Republicans Greg Davis
Greg Davis (Mississippi politician)
For other persons with these names, see Greg Davis and Charles Davis.Charles Gregory "Greg" Davis is the mayor of Southaven, Mississippi, the state's third largest city, and was the Republican Party nominee for Mississippi's 1st congressional district in the 2008 special and general elections.-...
, Glenn McCullough
Glenn McCullough
Glenn L. McCullough, Jr. is a businessman, former Mayor of Tupelo, Mississippi, former chair of the Tennessee Valley Authority. McCullough lost the Republican nomination for Mississippi's 2008 1st congressional district special election.McCullough is a sixth generation Mississippian...
, and Randy Russell and Democrats Steve Holland and Jamie Franks
Jamie Franks
James "Jamie" Franks was a Democratic member of the Mississippi House of Representatives, representing the state's 19th district from 2000 through 2007. His district included Lee, Itawamba and Tishomingo Counties...
as contenders. All but Franks ended up as candidates.
The party primaries were held on March 11. The primary runoff election was held on April 1, 2008. According to Mississippi state election law, those who voted in the Democratic Primary on March 11 were only allowed to vote in the Democratic runoff on April 1st. Mississippi was one of the states where right wing commentators such as Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
suggested people cross party lines on March 11 in order to keep the competition alive between Democratic Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. Several websites such as the Daily Kos
Daily Kos
Daily Kos is an American political blog that publishes news and opinions from a progressive point of view. It functions as a discussion forum and group blog for a variety of netroots activists, whose efforts are primarily directed toward influencing and strengthening the Democratic Party...
and politico.com
The Politico
The Politico is an American political journalism organization based in Arlington, Virginia, that distributes its content via television, the Internet, newspaper, and radio. Its coverage of Washington, D.C., includes the U.S. Congress, lobbying, media and the Presidency...
suggested that this is why the Republican primary runoff was so close between the more moderate McCullough and Davis as many of the more Conservative Republicans were not allowed to vote in that runoff. It is also believed that this has led to the final special election race involving a conservative Democrat (Childers) who has a better than usual chance to win the general election. Republicans were particularly concerned that a race between Childers and McCullough would've increased the Democrat's chances.
The initial special election to fill the seat was held on April 22, 2008; no one received a majority of the vote so a runoff election was held between the two top vote getters: Democrat Travis Childers
Travis Childers
Travis Wayne Childers is the former U.S. Representative from , serving from the 2008 special election until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes much of the northern portion of the state including New Albany, Columbus, Oxford, Southaven, and Tupelo...
(who was the top vote getter with 49.4% of the vote) and Republican Greg Davis
Greg Davis (Mississippi politician)
For other persons with these names, see Greg Davis and Charles Davis.Charles Gregory "Greg" Davis is the mayor of Southaven, Mississippi, the state's third largest city, and was the Republican Party nominee for Mississippi's 1st congressional district in the 2008 special and general elections.-...
(who received 46.3% of the initial special election vote) on May 13, 2008.
The National Republican Congressional Committee
National Republican Congressional Committee
The National Republican Congressional Committee is the Republican Hill committee which works to elect Republicans to the United States House of Representatives....
spent over $1.3 million in support of Davis' bid for the vacant seat. Freedom's Watch
Freedom's Watch
Freedom's Watch was a Washington D.C. based 501 lobbying organization. Freedom's Watch was supportive of the Bush administration's positions in the War on Terror and of Republican Congressional candidates. The group was run and supported, in part, by several former officials of the Bush...
, a Republican-supporting advocacy group, purchased an additional $550,000 in advertising. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States House of Representatives, working to elect Democrats to that body. They play a critical role in recruiting candidates, raising funds, and organizing races in districts that are expected to yield...
spent $1.5 million in support of Childers.
Despite the district's Republican leanings, Childers defeated Davis in the final round of the special election by a 54% to 46% margin. Once sworn in, Childers will serve through the end of the 110th Congress
110th United States Congress
The One Hundred Tenth United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, between January 3, 2007, and January 3, 2009, during the last two years of the second term of President George W. Bush. It was composed of the Senate and the House of...
in January 2009.
Childers victory represents the 3rd time during the 110th Congress that a Democrat has been elected to a previously Republican-held seat in a special election. Childers victory is seen as a surprise upset for the Republican party as Mississippi's 1st district has been historically right leaning. It is believed that this sends "a clear signal of national problems ahead for Republicans in the fall". Negative campaign
Negative campaigning
Negative campaigning, also known more colloquially as "mudslinging", is trying to win an advantage by referring to negative aspects of an opponent or of a policy rather than emphasizing one's own positive attributes or preferred policies...
ads approved by Davis tried to link Childers with Presidential candidate Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and his controversial former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright
Jeremiah Wright
Jeremiah Alvesta Wright, Jr. is Pastor Emeritus of Trinity United Church of Christ , a megachurch in Chicago exceeding 6,000 members...
.
Childers and Davis faced off against each other in the November general election.Again, Childers won that contest.
Results
Runoff results
Newspaper endorsements
Childers was endorsed by the Northeast Mississippi Daily JournalNortheast Mississippi Daily Journal
The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal is the largest daily newspaper in northeast Mississippi. It was first published in 1872. In 1934 it was taken over by George Mclean, a proponent of leftist social policies. It is based in Tupelo, Mississippi and owned by Journal, Inc...
, The Commercial Dispatch, and The Commercial Appeal
The Commercial Appeal
The Commercial Appeal is the predominant daily newspaper of Memphis, Tennessee, and its surrounding metropolitan area. It is owned by The E. W. Scripps Company, a major North American media company. Scripps also owned the former afternoon paper, the Memphis Press-Scimitar, which it folded in...
.
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in Mississippi, 2008United States House of Representatives elections in Mississippi, 2008The 2008 congressional elections in Mississippi were held on November 4, 2008 to determine who will represent the state of Mississippi in the United States House of Representatives...
- Mississippi's 1st congressional districtMississippi's 1st congressional districtMississippi's 1st congressional district is in the northeast corner of the state. It includes much of the northern portion of the state including Columbus, Grenada, Oxford, Southaven, and Tupelo....
- United States Senate special election in Mississippi, 2008United States Senate special election in Mississippi, 2008The 2008 United States Senate special election in Mississippi was held on November 4, 2008. This election is held on the same day of Thad Cochran's re-election bid in the United States Senate election in Mississippi, 2008. The rules of this special election is that the winner will serve rest of...
- Illinois's 14th congressional district special election, 2008Illinois's 14th congressional district special election, 2008After the resignation of Republican Party United States Congressman Dennis Hastert from his Illinois's 14th congressional district seat in the United States House of Representatives on November 26, 2007, a special election was held to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the 110th United States...
- Louisiana's 6th congressional district special election, 2008Louisiana's 6th congressional district special election, 2008The February 2, 2008 resignation of Republican Richard Baker triggered a special election for Louisiana's 6th district. In anticipation of this election, party qualifying occurred before Baker's resignation. The timeline mirrored that of the 2008 special election for the 1st congressional district...
External links
- Official election page from Mississippi Secretary of State
- NE MS Daily Journal, Election Results
- Commercial Dispatch Online, Election Results