Politics 2010: Mississippi GOP wants 1st District back

Republicans are ready to reclaim Mississippi's 1st Congressional District, a seat they say is occupied by a Democrat by chance and GOP in-fighting.

Rep. Travis Childers won the seat two years ago in the heavily Republican district because of a rift among Republicans over two party challengers -- ending with one candidate's supporters staying home on election day, Y'allPolitics.com said.

"The Republican primary got out of hand. We shot ourselves in the foot," Brad White, chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party, told The Hill. "The Republicans gave that race to Travis Childers."

This year they hope to rectify the situation.

Childers is unopposed in Tuesday's primary, but the Republican field is crowded. Candidates include state Sen. Alan Nunnelee, former Eupora Mayor Henry Ross and author and one-time Fox News analyst Angela McGlowan, a self-proclaimed Tea Party candidate. Nunnelee is seen as the favorite among the Republican establishment, which McClowan has tried unsuccessfully to exploit amidst the national anti-incumbent fervor, Y'allPolitics.com said.

"I haven't seen anything that would indicate to me that our primary this year is shaping up like the primary two years ago did," White told The Hill. "I'm hopeful that it will continue like it's been being -- that you have your normal differences of opinion but nothing to really make me see anything that's going to be problematic."

Mississippi's 4th Congressional District also is occupied by a conservative Democrat, Rep. Gene Taylor, but Republicans peg his seat as potentially vulnerable, given the voter angst. Battling for the chance to oust Taylor are state Rep. Steven Palazzo and lawyer Joe Tegerdine.

The Republican primary election in Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District pits George Bailey of Clinton, Richard Cook, who lives in the Jackson area, and Bill Marcy of Meridian. The winner will face Democrat and incumbent Rep. Bennie Thompson.

Republican incumbent Gregg Harper is running unopposed in Mississippi's 3rd District. USElections.com reported Pickens Alderman Joel Gill, college professor James Jackson, evangelist and former Reform Party national chairman Shawn O'Hara filed to run in the Democratic primary.