Mississippi’s U.S. House races didn’t yield any surprises as three Democratic incumbents were re-elected and Republicans held onto a fourth seat.
Incumbent U.S. Reps. Bennie Thompson, Gene Taylor and Travis Childers won re-election. As expected, Republican Gregg Harper, in his first political run, won the 3rd District seat that came open after U.S. Rep. Chip Pickering, R-Miss., chose not to seek re-election.
“Things are predictable,” said Tougaloo College professor Steve Rozman. “If you’re conservative enough as a Democrat and you can relate well to people, you can get elected.”
Tuesday’s election was a rematch between Childers, a former Prentiss County chancery clerk, and Greg Davis, the mayor of Southaven. In May, Childers defeated Davis in a special election for the seat that became vacant after Republican Roger Wicker moved to the Senate.
With the win, Childers of Booneville regains the seat for the Democrats. It was held for half a century by Jamie Whitten, a Democrat who reached the pinnacle of Washington power as chairman of the Appropriations Committee. Whitten retired in 1994. Then, Wicker won the two-year post.
“North Mississippi spoke very loudly and very clearly today, and I’m looking forward to getting back to D.C.,” Childers said after his winning with 55 percent of the vote. “North Mississippians are struggling. People are losing their jobs. They’re having to decide whether to buy medicine or groceries or gas for their car.”
Magnolia Tribune
