U.S. House, Mississippi - 1st District
North -- Tupelo, Southaven, Columbus
Race Forecast: Leans Democratic
2008: Rep.
2006: Rep.
Democrats argue that Childers has established a conservative profile that puts him in the lead to win a full-term this fall in a rematch against Republican Greg Davis, mayor of Southaven. Childers made national headlines after winning a special election May 13 over Davis in a district dominated by Republicans and most recently represented by Republican
Race Information
- Incumbent: Rep. Travis W. Childers, D
- First Elected: 2008 (1st term)
- Last Elected: (%)
- Incumbent Status: Running for re-election
- Race Forecast: Leans Democratic
District Information
Politics in America District Profile
The northeastern Hill Country and rich farmland on the edge of the Delta region in northwestern Mississippi support an agricultural economy in the 1st, while manufacturing dominates in Lee County (Tupelo) and surrounding areas. Tupelo is a major producer of upholstered furniture, Columbus has some steel manufacturing and Oxford is home to the University of Mississippi.
The visitors center for the 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway is in Tupelo, the 1st’s largest city. The district also includes Mississippi’s entire portion of the soon-to-be completed Interstate 22 (currently Highway 78), which will connect Memphis and Birmingham through Tupelo. In addition to infrastructure development, the area received good news in 2007 when Toyota announced that the company will open a new $1.3 billion manufacturing plant northwest of Tupelo in 2010. The city’s status as the birthplace of Elvis Presley attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, and generates millions of dollars in revenue.
DeSoto County, the district’s most populous and the state’s fastest-growing, is becoming a haven for residents who commute from the 1st’s northwestern corner into Memphis over the Tennessee border. To the east, Marshall and Benton counties are home to many of the district’s African-Americans, a group that makes up more than one-fourth of the 1st’s population.
Conservative Democrats can win here, and Democrats — including Jamie L. Whitten, the longest-serving House member in history —occupied this seat for more than a century until the 1994 GOP takeover of the House. Despite a Democrat’s victory in the 2008 special election, voters here have favored the GOP in federal elections for more than a decade, with George W. Bush taking 62 percent of the 1st’s 2004 presidential vote.
Major Industry
Furniture, manufacturing, agriculture
Military Bases
Columbus Air Force Base, 1,440 military, 1,707 civilian (2007)
Cities
Tupelo, 34,211; Southaven, 28,977; Columbus, 25,944; Olive Branch, 21,054
Notable
Columbus lures visitors to its historic antebellum home tours.
- Demographics (2000 census)
- Population: 711,160
- Under 18: 26.6%
- Over 65: 12.4%
- Married: 56%
- Non-Hispanic White: 71%
- Black: 26%
- Hispanic: 1%
- Asian: 0%
- Foreign Born: 1%
- Language other than English: 3.0%
- Median Household Income: 32,535
- Owner Occupied Housing: 75.1%
- Income above $200k: 1
- Workforce/Education (2000 census)
- White Collar: 49%
- Blue Collar: 39.4%
- Services: 12.1%
- Bachelor's Degree: 14%
- Graduate Education: 4.5%
- Civilian Veterans: 59,399
| Year | Election | Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | general | Travis Childers (D) | 181,398 | 54.4% |
| Greg Davis (R) | 146,584 | 44% | ||
| Wally Pang (I) | 3,635 | 1.1% | ||
| John Wages (GREEN) | 1,827 | 0.5% | ||
| 2006 | general | Roger Wicker (R) | 95,098 | 65.9% |
| James Hurt (D) | 49,174 | 34.1% | ||
| 2004 | general | Roger Wicker (R) | 219,328 | 78.9% |
| Barbara Washer (REF) | 58,256 | 21.1% | ||
| 2002 | general | Roger Wicker (R) | 95,404 | 71.4% |
| Rex Weathers (D) | 32,318 | 24.2% | ||
| Brenda Blackburn (REF) | 3,477 | 2.6% | ||
| Harold Taylor (LIBERT) | 2,368 | 1.8% | ||
| Year | Democrat | Republican | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | John Kerry: 37% | George W. Bush: 62% | |
| 2000 | Al Gore: 40% | George W. Bush: 59% |
Campaign Finance Details for the 2008 Race
| Filers | Through | Total Receipts | Total Disbursements | Total From PACs | Total From Individuals | Ending Cash | Debts Owed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HURT, JAMES K. (KEN) (D) | November 7, 2006 | $899.00 | |||||
| WICKER, ROGER F. (R) | November 24, 2008 | $286,729.00 | $827,989.00 | $20,000.00 | $140,087.00 | $1,585.00 | |
| MCCULLOUGH, GLENN L JR (R) | June 30, 2008 | $745,298.00 | $744,754.00 | $5,000.00 | $648,917.00 | $543.00 | |
| CHILDERS, TRAVIS W (D) | November 24, 2008 | $1,830,236.00 | $1,791,028.00 | $230,000.00 | $640,574.00 | $39,206.00 | $150,000.00 |
| HOLLAND, STEVE (D) | July 15, 2008 | $340,457.00 | $335,699.00 | $130,957.00 | $200,000.00 | ||
| NEELY, BRIAN H (D) | February 29, 2008 | $750.00 | $750.00 | $750.00 | |||
| RUSSELL, RANDY (R) | September 30, 2008 | $282,233.00 | $279,584.00 | $90,137.00 | $2,748.00 | $145,000.00 | |
| WAGES, JOHN M JR (UNKNOWN) | November 24, 2008 | $2,491.00 | $2,462.00 | $1,078.00 | $28.00 | ||
| DAVIS, CHARLES GREGORY (R) | November 24, 2008 | $1,534,915.00 | $1,435,971.00 | $140,163.00 | $1,059,565.00 | $102,853.00 | $55,000.00 |
