2008 Mississippi's 1st congressional district special election

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Travis Childers, Prentiss County Clerk
• Steve Holland, Mississippi State Representative
• Marshall Coleman
• Brian H. Neely
• Ken Hurt, 2006 Democratic nominee for Mississippi's 1st congressional district

Results

Runoff Results

Republican primary

Candidates

• Greg Davis, Mayor of Southaven and former Mississippi State Representative
• Glenn McCullough, former Mayor of Tupelo
• Randy Russell, ophthalmologist

Results

Runoff results

General election

Candidates

• Travis Childers, Prentiss County Clerk (D)
• Greg Davis, Mayor of Southaven and former Mississippi State Representative
• John M. Wages Jr., former member of the Lee County Election Commission
• Wally Pang, Batesville restaurant owner

Campaign

On December 31, 2007, Mississippi governor Haley Barbour appointed Roger Wicker to the Senate seat vacated 13 days earlier by Sen. Trent Lott. 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, Grenada, Oxford, Southaven, and Tupelo. The district had been represented by Republican Roger Wicker since 1995. The district has demonstrated itself to be "reliably conservative" in past elections, with George W. Bush winning the district by 25 points in the 2004 presidential election. Early speculation had Republicans Greg Davis, Glenn McCullough, and Randy Russell and Democrats Steve Holland and Jamie Franks 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 1. Mississippi was one of the states where right wing commentators such as Rush Limbaugh suggested people cross party lines on March 11 in order to keep the competition alive between Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Several websites such as the Daily Kos and politico.com 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 (who was the top vote getter with 49.4% of the vote) and Republican Greg Davis (who received 46.3% of the initial special election vote) on May 13, 2008.

The National Republican Congressional Committee spent over $1.3 million in support of Davis' bid for the vacant seat. Freedom's Watch, a Republican-supporting advocacy group, purchased an additional $550,000 in advertising. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee 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 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 ads approved by Davis tried to link Childers with presidential candidate Barack Obama and his controversial former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

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 Journal, The Commercial Dispatch, and The Commercial Appeal.

References

References

1. "Official Recapitulation of votes cast in the Democratic Party primary held in the State of Mississippi on the 11th day of March, 2008". Democratic Party of the State of Mississippi.
2. "Official Recapitulation of votes cast in the Democratic Party primary run off held in the State of Mississippi on the 1st day of April 2008". Democratic Party of the State of Mississippi.
3. "Presidential Preference Primary Official Results". Mississippi Republican Party.
4. "Third U.S. Congressional District Official Results". Mississippi Republican Party.
5. [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB121063931008986951?mod=special_page_campaign2008_topbox A House Race Holds Clues for GOP], Susan Davis, ''The Wall Street Journal'', May 13, 2008.
6. "'''commercialappeal.com''' Southaven mayor hopes to represent First District in Congress, January 12, 2008".
7. (February 2024). ["'''The Clarion-Ledger:''' "Wicker moves up; who moves in?", January 1, 2008"](http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080101/NEWS01/80101016}}{{dead link).
8. "'''Clarion Ledger''': Election '08: Field set for congressional races".
9. [http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/1/133852/6876/889/484230 ] ''"DailyKos:''' Limbaugh's system-gaming could give us a new Democratic congressman ]
10. Kraushaar, Josh. "Primary shenanigans could backfire".
11. (February 2018)
12. Nossiter, Adam. (May 14, 2008). "Democrat Wins House Seat in Mississippi".
13. (May 15, 2008). "Mississippi election loss is GOP 'wakeup call' - CNN.com". CNN.
14. (May 4, 2008). "Republicans use Obama as the bad guy in negative ads - CNN.com". CNN.
15. "Commercial Dispatch Online".
16. "Total Votes Reported by County for the April 22, 2008 Special Election". Mississippi Secretary of State.
17. "Total Votes Reported by County for the May 13, 2008 Special Election". Mississippi Secretary of State.
18. (April 18, 2008). "EDITORIAL:Childers best choice". [[Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal]].
19. (April 20, 2008). "Childers for Congress". [[The Commercial Dispatch]].
20. (May 11, 2008). "Childers for Mississippi's 1st District". [[The Commercial Appeal]].