Travis Childers
Encyclopedia
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
. Childers was defeated for re-election in 2010.
in Prentiss County, Mississippi
on March 29, 1958. He is the son of John Wayne and Betty (née Smith) Childers. His father, John Wayne Childers (a native of Glen
), died when his son was 16 years old; in high school
he worked nights and weekends at the first convenience store
in Booneville to support his mother, Betty, and sister, Tammy. He is of French
, Italian, Swiss, English
, Chickasaw
, and Choctaw
descent.
Childers attended Northeast Mississippi Junior College
and then the University of Mississippi
, where he received a bachelor's degree
in business administration in 1980.
While a student at Ole Miss, Childers became licensed as a Real Estate Salesperson by the Mississippi Real Estate Commission (MREC) and consequently became a Realtor
. After graduating he joined Robert Davis' real estate business in Booneville and worked there throughout the 1980s. Eventually he became licensed as a Real Estate Broker by MREC prior to his ownership of Travis Childers Realty & Associates, a successful Northeast Mississippi real estate firm. He also owns, with his wife Tami, Landmark Community, a personal care home, and Landmark Nursing Center, an 80-bed skilled care facility and Alzheimer's disease
unit.
In 1991, Childers was elected Prentiss County Chancery
Clerk. He was re-elected five times (with 75 percent of the vote the final time). In 2001-2002, Childers served as president of the Mississippi Chancery Clerks Association.
, votes 83% of the time with his party, but has been described as a conservative Democrat
. Like many Democrats from Mississippi, he is pro-life and pro-gun, and he was endorsed by the National Right to Life Committee
and the National Rifle Association
in his 2010 rerelection campaign. However, on economic issues, Childers tends to vote more with his party. He supports increased funding for public education. He also favors a swift withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.
In the 111th Congress, while voting for the stimulus packages and reauthorization of SCHIP, Childers has voted against several more controversial bills, most notably the "Helping Families Save Their Homes Act". Childers bucked the Democratic leadership in voting against both versions of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009.
More recently Childers voted against the 2009 Matthew Shepard Act
and joined most Blue Dog Democrats in opposing the 2009 American Clean Energy and Security Act
. Childers voted with 38 other Democrats against the Affordable Health Care for America Act
. However, he is against full repeal of the bill.
incumbent Roger Wicker
was appointed by Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour
to the United States Senate
seat vacated by Trent Lott
.
Childers was endorsed by the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, the Commercial Dispatch, and the Commercial Appeal
.
Several candidates qualified for the election. In the initial April 22 special election, Childers won 49.4 percent of the vote, falling just 400 votes short of the majority (50 percent plus one) needed to avoid a runoff. On May 13, Childers faced Republican candidate Greg Davis
(who had won 46.3 percent on April 22). Childers won the runoff.
This election returned the district to the Democrats. The seat was held by Democrat Jamie Whitten of Charleston
for 54 years — the longest tenure of any congressman until Michigan representative John Dingell
passed the mark on February 11, 2009. Whitten retired in 1995 and was succeeded by Wicker. Childers' victory came as a major shock to the Republicans. The district has a decided conservative bent; Wicker had won his first race for the seat with 63 percent of the vote and hadn't faced serious opposition since. The district has only supported the official Democratic candidate for president once since 1956; George W. Bush
carried the district with 62 percent of the vote in 2004.
, Constitutionalist Gail Giaramita, Libertarian Harold Taylor, Reformist Barbara Dale Washer, and Independent Wally Pang. Nunnelee defeated Childers.
, and Lauren, a graduate of the University of Mississippi
. Lauren Childers was Miss University of Mississippi 2010. Childers and his family attend the East Booneville Baptist Church.
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...
from , serving from the 2008 special election until 2011. He is a member of the 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...
. The district includes much of the northern portion of the state including New Albany
New Albany, Mississippi
New Albany is a city in Union County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 8,526 at the 2010 census. New Albany is the county seat of Union County. New Albany was first organized in 1840 at the site of a grist mill and saw mill on the Tallahatchie River and was developed as a river port...
, 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...
, 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...
. Childers was defeated for re-election in 2010.
Early life, education and career
Childers was born in BoonevilleBooneville, Mississippi
Booneville is a city in Prentiss County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 8,625 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Prentiss County....
in Prentiss County, Mississippi
Prentiss 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...
on March 29, 1958. He is the son of John Wayne and Betty (née Smith) Childers. His father, John Wayne Childers (a native of Glen
Glen, Mississippi
Glen is a town in Alcorn County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 286 at the 2000 census. Its ZIP code is 38846.- History :The town of Glen, located nine miles southeast of Corinth, owes its beginning to the Memphis & Charleston Railroad...
), died when his son was 16 years old; in high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
he worked nights and weekends at the first convenience store
Convenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
in Booneville to support his mother, Betty, and sister, Tammy. He is of French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, Italian, Swiss, English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, Chickasaw
Chickasaw
The Chickasaw are Native American people originally from the region that would become the Southeastern United States...
, and Choctaw
Choctaw
The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
descent.
Childers attended Northeast Mississippi Junior College
Northeast Mississippi Community College
Northeast Mississippi Community College, also known as NEMCC, is a public, comprehensive community college. NEMCC is a located in Booneville, Mississippi, USA...
and then the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
, where he received a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in business administration in 1980.
While a student at Ole Miss, Childers became licensed as a Real Estate Salesperson by the Mississippi Real Estate Commission (MREC) and consequently became a Realtor
National Association of Realtors
The National Association of Realtors , whose members are known as Realtors, is North America's largest trade association. representing over 1.2 million members , including NAR's institutes, societies, and councils, involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries...
. After graduating he joined Robert Davis' real estate business in Booneville and worked there throughout the 1980s. Eventually he became licensed as a Real Estate Broker by MREC prior to his ownership of Travis Childers Realty & Associates, a successful Northeast Mississippi real estate firm. He also owns, with his wife Tami, Landmark Community, a personal care home, and Landmark Nursing Center, an 80-bed skilled care facility and Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
unit.
In 1991, Childers was elected Prentiss County Chancery
Court of equity
A chancery court, equity court or court of equity is a court that is authorized to apply principles of equity, as opposed to law, to cases brought before it.These courts began with petitions to the Lord Chancellor of England...
Clerk. He was re-elected five times (with 75 percent of the vote the final time). In 2001-2002, Childers served as president of the Mississippi Chancery Clerks Association.
Committee assignments
- Committee on AgricultureUnited States House Committee on AgricultureThe U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, or Agriculture Committee is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. The House Committee on Agriculture has general jurisdiction over federal agriculture policy and oversight of some federal agencies, and it can recommend funding...
- Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry
- Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk ManagementUnited States House Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk ManagementThe House Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management is a subcommittee within the House Agriculture Committee. The subcommittee oversees program and markets for major commercial crops, such as cotton, cottonseed, wheat, feed grains , soybeans, oilseeds, rice, dry beans, peas, and...
- Committee on Financial ServicesUnited States House Committee on Financial ServicesThe United States House Committee on Financial Services is the committee of the United States House of Representatives that oversees the entire financial services industry, including the securities, insurance, banking, and housing industries...
- Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
- Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer CreditUnited States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer CreditThe U.S. House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit is a subcommittee of the House Committee on Financial Services.-Jurisdiction:...
Tenure
Childers, a Blue Dog DemocratBlue Dog Democrat
The Blue Dog Coalition, commonly known as the Blue Dogs, is a group of United States Congressional Representatives from the Democratic Party who identify themselves as moderates....
, votes 83% of the time with his party, but has been described as a conservative Democrat
Conservative Democrat
In American politics, a conservative Democrat is a Democratic Party member with conservative political views, or with views relatively conservative with respect to those of the national party...
. Like many Democrats from Mississippi, he is pro-life and pro-gun, and he was endorsed by the National Right to Life Committee
National Right to Life Committee
The National Right to Life Committee is the oldest and largest pro-life organization in the United States with affiliates in all 50 states and over 3,000 local chapters nationwide. The group works through legislation and education to work against abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and assisted...
and the National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
in his 2010 rerelection campaign. However, on economic issues, Childers tends to vote more with his party. He supports increased funding for public education. He also favors a swift withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.
In the 111th Congress, while voting for the stimulus packages and reauthorization of SCHIP, Childers has voted against several more controversial bills, most notably the "Helping Families Save Their Homes Act". Childers bucked the Democratic leadership in voting against both versions of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009.
More recently Childers voted against the 2009 Matthew Shepard Act
Matthew Shepard Act
The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, also known as the Matthew Shepard Act, is an American Act of Congress, passed on October 22, 2009, and signed into law by President Barack Obama on October 28, 2009, as a rider to the National Defense Authorization Act for 2010...
and joined most Blue Dog Democrats in opposing the 2009 American Clean Energy and Security Act
American Clean Energy and Security Act
The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 was an energy bill in the 111th United States Congress that would have established a variant of an emissions trading plan similar to the European Union Emission Trading Scheme...
. Childers voted with 38 other Democrats against the Affordable Health Care for America Act
Affordable Health Care for America Act
The Affordable Health Care for America Act was a bill that was crafted by the United States House of Representatives in November 2009. At the encouragement of the Obama administration, the 111th Congress devoted much of its time to enacting reform of the United States' health care system...
. However, he is against full repeal of the bill.
2008 Special
A special election in Mississippi's 1st congressional district was triggered when 12-year RepublicanRepublican 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...
incumbent 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...
was appointed by Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour
Haley 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...
to the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat vacated by 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....
.
Childers was endorsed by the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 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...
.
Several candidates qualified for the election. In the initial April 22 special election, Childers won 49.4 percent of the vote, falling just 400 votes short of the majority (50 percent plus one) needed to avoid a runoff. On May 13, Childers faced Republican 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.-...
(who had won 46.3 percent on April 22). Childers won the runoff.
This election returned the district to the Democrats. The seat was held by Democrat Jamie Whitten of Charleston
Charleston, Mississippi
Charleston is a city in North Central Mississippi and one of the county seats of Tallahatchie County. The population was 2,198 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Charleston is located at ....
for 54 years — the longest tenure of any congressman until Michigan representative John Dingell
John Dingell
John David Dingell, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1955 . He is a member of the Democratic Party...
passed the mark on February 11, 2009. Whitten retired in 1995 and was succeeded by Wicker. Childers' victory came as a major shock to the Republicans. The district has a decided conservative bent; Wicker had won his first race for the seat with 63 percent of the vote and hadn't faced serious opposition since. The district has only supported the official Democratic candidate for president once since 1956; 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....
carried the district with 62 percent of the vote in 2004.
2008 General
Childers and Davis faced each other again in the general election on November 4, 2008. Childers won a full term, defeating Davis 54% to 44%.2010 General
Childers was up for re-election on November 2, 2010. He was challenged by Republican State Senator Alan NunneleeAlan Nunnelee
Patrick Alan Nunnelee is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. He formerly served as the Mississippi State Senator for District 6.-Early life:...
, Constitutionalist Gail Giaramita, Libertarian Harold Taylor, Reformist Barbara Dale Washer, and Independent Wally Pang. Nunnelee defeated Childers.
Personal life
Childers and his wife, Tami, have two children: Dustin, a recent graduate from Mississippi College School of LawMississippi College School of Law
The Mississippi College School of Law is located in downtown Jackson, Mississippi. The law school started out as the Jackson School of Law in 1930, but was acquired by Mississippi College in 1975. The main campus of Mississippi College is located in Clinton, Mississippi.In December 2005, the school...
, and Lauren, a graduate of the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
. Lauren Childers was Miss University of Mississippi 2010. Childers and his family attend the East Booneville Baptist Church.
External links
- Travis Childers for U.S. Congress official campaign site
- Travis Childers Realty & Associates