Vulnerable Democratic Rep. Travis W. Childers gained his first official challenger Monday when Republican state Sen. Alan Nunnelee filed to run in Mississippi's 1st District.
"We need somebody representing north Mississippi that will hold the Obama administration accountable," Nunnelee said.
Nunnelee had been considering a campaign and this morning, according to news reports and confirmed by CQ Politics, he made it official and filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission.
Nunnelee repeated a common GOP attack line by stating Childers "voted for Nancy Pelosi 100 percent." Democrats voted by acclamation for the California Democrat to retain her post as Speaker for the current session, but CQ's vote studies shows Childers is one of many vulnerable Democrats who has departed from his party.
His 61 percent party unity score was the third lowest score among all House members through June 26. Party unity scores measure the frequency with which a member votes with a majority of his party against a majority of the opposing party. Childers is a members of the fiscally conservative "Blue Dogs."
Childers defied the northern Mississippi district's recent Republican lean and won a 2008 special election to replace Republican Roger Wicker, who was appointed to the U.S. Senate. That November, Childers won a full term with 54.5 percent of the vote even though 1st District voters supported John McCain for president with 61 percent of the vote.
Additional Republicans have indicated they are considering bids.
CQ Politics rates the general election race Leans Democrat.
To follow the 2010 House races, check out the CQ Politics election map
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If the GOP doesn't knock him off this cycle with this top-tier recruit from the right part of the district (Tupelo area), Childers may be able to turn himself into another Gene Taylor (a long-term MS Dem in an overly-Republican district).
Posted by: NObama
| July 28, 2009 1:21 PM
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