Tag: MS-01

• NJ-02: Democrats have finally bagged a challenger to take on entrenched GOP Rep. Frank LoBiondo: Cape May City Councilor and businessman David Kurkowski.  Local Dems cited Kurkowski’s ability to fundraise in their endorsement of his candidacy.  

  While dislodging LoBiondo would be a tough task, we should be able to count on Kurkowski to hold the incumbent’s feet to the fire in this D+4 district.  Kurkowski has pledged to wage a “vigorous campaign” that will tie LoBiondo to George Bush and his support for the war in Iraq.  If we’re lucky, an aggressive campaign by Kurkowski could help split Republican resources in a state where the GOP will already be defending two open seats, and quite possibly the seat of ultra-conservative Rep. Scott Garrett in NJ-05. (H/T: Blue Jersey)

• MS-01: GOP primary run-off loser and former Tupelo Mayor Glenn McCullough issued a non-endorsement endorsement of the Republican nominee, Southaven Mayor Greg Davis:
  

  He also urged fellow Republicans to “unite behind all three of our nominees in North Mississippi – Senator Cochran, Senator Wicker and Mayor Davis. We have come too far as a state to turn back now.”

  But McCullough spokesman Brad Davis said the statement was “absolutely not” a personal endorsement of the runoff winner.

  When asked if it was a show of support for the party and not the person, Brad Davis said, “That’s a good way to put it.”

  Davis will face off with Democrat Travis Childers in an April 22nd special election.  If no candidate receives 50% of the vote, there will be a May 13th runoff.  (Meaning that, to fill the open seat of Roger Wicker, voters in MS-01 might be going to the polls four times to determine the winner.)  Regional rivalry may play a role here — Davis is from the fast-growing DeSoto County, a suburban area near Memphis, while Childers hails from the more rural Prentiss County.  If Childers can consolidate the non-DeSoto vote and keep Democratic enthusiasm high, this race could be a surprise worth watching.

• LA-06: Democrat Don Cazayoux just picked up another endorsement in the special election to replace retiring GOP Rep. Richard Baker — this time from the National Rifle Association (from the House Race Hotline):
  

  The NRA on 4/3 endorsed Cazayoux. The NRA gave Cazayoux an “A” and urged all members, gun owners and sportsmen to vote for Cazayoux. Cazayoux: “I’m proud to have the endorsement of NRA and the million of gun owners and sportsmen they represent across the country and here in Louisiana. We’ve passed important legislation in Louisiana over the last few years to protect the rights of gun owners, and I will continue that work in Congress to ensure our 2nd amendment rights are protected”.

  Runoff: 4/5; Special election: 5/3.

• NJ-Sen: Full results from a poll conducted by Joel Benenson for the DSCC (4/1-2, likely Democratic primary voters):
  

  Frank Lautenberg (D-inc): 52%
  
  Rob Andrews (D): 21%

  Juan Melli offers some more insights over at Blue Jersey.

• NY-26: Too much of a good thing?  Two wealthy candidates vying for the seat of retiring GOP Rep. Tom Reynolds are pledging to spend $1 million each on their campaigns.

11:18 PM: The AP has called the runoffs for Travis Childers (D) and Greg Davis (R), who will face off on April 22nd in the special election primary to replace Roger Wicker. (Update: As per RBH in the comments below, Davis and Childers will face other nominal challengers on the 22nd.  If no candidate earns a majority, there will be a May 13 runoff.)

No joke about it: at a PVI of R+10, this is a pretty conservative district.  But perhaps it was premature to call this one a completely safe Republican hold.  With 100% of precincts reporting,  36,168 voters cast ballots in the Democratic run-off, while 33,135 GOP ballots were counted — a net turnout advantage of 3000 votes for Democrats.  And let’s not forget, while the Dem primary was a civil affair, the same cannot be said about the Republican battle:

But Davis, in the campaign’s final week, has attempted to make McCullough’s tenure at the TVA a major issue in the campaign. One of his latest ads accuses McCullough of laying off workers, raising electric rates and lavish spending while serving as chairman of the board.

“Sometimes the truth hurts. The fact that he made those expenditures while laying off people was a bad decision, in my mind,” said Davis. “While he was laying off people at TVA, we were creating 10,000 jobs here in Southaven.”

McCullough has called Davis’ allegations a negative smear and vigorously defended his record in an interview with Politico. McCullough said he increased rates only once during his tenure and brought economic development to the region.

“He’s smearing my lifestyle and character. People who know me and people who investigate me know that what he’s saying on television is not true,” McCullough said. “It’s what people do when they’re behind and they’re desperate.”

If Childers has enough funds to ride this one out, this one could be interesting.

10:25 PM: With 91% of precincts reporting, 33,440 Democratic votes and 31,551 GOP votes have tallied.

10:10 PM: A turnout update: With 79% of precincts reporting, 30,165 Democratic ballots have been cast, while 29,423 GOP votes have been tallied.  I’d say that this is an encouraging sign for Travis Childers.

10:06 PM: With 79% in, looks like Childers has this one wrapped up with a 3800 vote lead.  The GOP race still looks tight: Davis is leading by less than 700 votes.

9:55 PM: With 70% in, Childers is up by 56%-44% and 3000 votes.  Davis has a 4% lead in the GOP results.

9:39 PM: With 49% in, it’s Childers 54%, Holland 46%.  Southaven Mayor Greg Davis has a 400  vote lead over former TVA Chair Glenn McCullough in the GOP runoff.

9:28 PM: With 29% of precincts reporting, Childers has taken the lead by a 53%-47% margin.

9:19 PM: With 22% reporting, Childers has closed the gap to 90 votes.

9:17 PM: Just to take the pulse of the turnout so far, with 19% of precincts reporting, 8998 voters have cast their ballots in the Democratic primary, while only 5144 GOP ballots have been cast.

UPDATE (9:05 Eastern): With 14% of precincts in, it’s Holland 54%, Childers 46%.

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Polls are closed in the runoff election to determine the Democratic and Republican nominees for the special election to replace GOP Rep. Roger Wicker in Mississippi.  This is an R+10 district, but it will be interesting to see if the high Dem turnout from last month’s primary will continue into the runoff.

The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal has the results.  So far, it looks like state Rep. Steve Holland has a 56%-44% lead over Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Travis Childers for the Dem nod with 10% of precincts reporting.

The Politico offers some local color:

Some statewide Republicans warn that if Childers prevails, he could offer a credible challenge to the party’s nominee, despite the district’s strong Republican tilt. Childers campaigned as a conservative Democrat with a record that at times appears indistinguishable from the Republicans’ agenda. And he has a strong network of support among the legal community in the rural parts of the district.

“He’s more conservative than 85 percent of Republicans,” said one state GOP operative. “He’s a good old boy and a strong candidate.”

And while the 1st District has been reliably Republican, Democrats have shown the ability to win here: Former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove carried the district in 1999.

[Diary edited for copyright concerns. – Mgmt.]

Some words about the new open seat in Mississippi from Jackson’s Clarion-Ledger newspaper…

Outgoing state Rep. Jamie Franks said it’s unlikely he will run against state Rep. Steve Holland for the congressional seat Roger Wicker’s recent appointment to the U.S. Senate left vacant.

“And I don’t believe he would run against me either,” Franks said of his friend and fellow representative. Both are Democrats from north Mississippi.

Wicker was appointed Monday by Gov. Haley Barbour to the Senate seat Trent Lott vacated. A special election is to be called within 60 days, Barbour said, then held within 60 days after that.

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State Rep. Steve Holland (D) is a former Republican, folks.  He used to work for Congressman Thad Cochran (R-MS) back in his younger days.  He once said that he didn’t leave the Republican Party; it left him.  Now that he’s had time to wise up and become a Democrat, Holland has made his way into the ranks of power in the MS Legislature.  He’s a committee chairman and close confidant of House Speaker Billy McCoy (D).  I don’t see why Holland would give up such power to move to Washington.  Jamie Franks will soon be a former member of the House.  It’s not like he has much to do these days anyway… other than be a lawyer.

Multiple sources are confirming that Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour will appoint MS-01 Rep. Roger Wicker (R) to fill the vacancy of retiring Sen. Trent Lott today.  (Update: It’s now official.)

A recent Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research poll had Wicker trailing former Democratic Gov. Ronnie Musgrove by a 48-34 margin in a hypothetical election match-up.  However, longtime SSP commenter Mississippiboy says that Musgrove won’t run.  I have yet to see published confirmation, but if accurate, Dems would have few obvious choices left on their shelf.  Former Gov. Ray Mabus, maybe? (Update: I think we can put Musgrove back in the “uncertain” column for now.)

If Dems can’t line up a strong challenger here, state AG Jim Hood’s legal fight over the timing of the special election will be made mostly moot.

We’ll keep our eyes peeled.