Who will GOP run in the 1st District next?

JACKSON – Last week’s win by Travis Childers to retain the 1st District U.S. House seat he originally won in a March special election was impressive.

But the bad thing about being a member of the House is that those seats are up for election every two years. In a sense it is a non-stop campaign for members in what are considered competitive districts.

No doubt, last week’s convincing win over Southaven Mayor Greg Davis gives Childers, a former Prentiss County chancery clerk, a firm foothold in the district.

But it is hard to believe Republicans will go quietly in 2010 and not challenge in a district they had held since 1994 before incumbent Rep. Roger Wicker stepped down to be appointed to a vacant Senate seat by Gov. Haley Barbour.

Don’t be surprised if Republicans wage a serious challenge to Childers in 2010. Former Tupelo Mayor Glenn McCullough, who lost in the March special election, might want to run again. DeSoto state Sen.
Merle Flowers also might consider the race.

But perhaps the most intriguing possible candidate is state Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Alan Nunnelee, R-Tupelo.

Nunnelee has toyed with the idea of running for statewide office. And earlier this year he briefly was considered a possible candidate for the 1st District U.S. House seat.

But new Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, who at the same time was making state Senate committee appointments, quietly told Nunnelee to choose between running for the seat and a plum committee appointment.

Nunnelee chose the committee appointment. And the chair of the Appropriations Committee is about as plum a committee assignment as one can get.