Travis Childers

Travis Childers
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Mississippi's 1st district
In office
May 13, 2008 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by Roger Wicker
Succeeded by Alan Nunnelee
Personal details
Born Travis Wayne Childers
(1958-03-29) March 29, 1958
Booneville, Mississippi, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Tami Childers
Children Dustin
Lauren
Alma mater Northeast Mississippi Community College
University of Mississippi, Oxford
Religion Southern Baptist
Website Government website

Travis Wayne Childers (born March 29, 1958) is an American politician who served as the U.S. Representative for Mississippi's 1st congressional district from 2008 to 2011. The district included much of the northern portion of the state including New Albany, Columbus, Oxford, Southaven, and Tupelo. A member of the Democratic Party,[1] Childers previously served as Chancery Clerk of Prentiss County from 1992 until his election to Congress. On March 1, 2014, Childers announced that he was running for the United States Senate.[2] He won his party's nomination for the Senate seat in the Democratic primary on June 3.[3] He lost the general election to incumbent Thad Cochran.

Early life, education and career

Childers was born in Booneville in Prentiss County, Mississippi, on March 29, 1958. He is the son of John Wayne and Betty (née Smith) Childers. His father, a native of Glen, died when Travis was 16 years old. In high school, Travis worked nights and weekends at a convenience store in Booneville to support his mother, Betty, and sister, Tammy.

Childers attended Northeast Mississippi Junior College and then the University of Mississippi, where he received his bachelor's degree in business administration in 1980.

While still a student at Ole Miss, Childers became licensed as a Real Estate Salesperson by the Mississippi Real Estate Commission (MREC) and became a realtor. After graduating from college, he joined Robert Davis' real estate business in Booneville and worked there throughout the 1980s.

Eventually he became licensed as a Real Estate Broker by MREC prior to his ownership of Travis Childers Realty & Associates, now Childers Realty and Associates, a Northeast Mississippi real estate firm.[4]

Childers owns a personal care home, the Landmark Community, and the Landmark Nursing Center, an 80-bed skilled care facility and Alzheimer's unit.[2]

In 1991, Childers was elected Prentiss County Chancery Clerk. He was re-elected five times (with 75 percent of the vote the final time). Childers was chosen to serve as President of the Mississippi Chancery Clerks Association for the 2001-2002 term.

U.S. House of Representatives

Committee assignments

Notable votes

In the 111th Congress, Childers voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and reauthorization of SCHIP.[5] Childers opposed the 2009 American Clean Energy and Security Act.[5] While Childers did vote against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, he is against full repeal of the law. Childers stated that while he supports health care reform, he believes the bill needed changes.[6] However, in his 2014 bid for Senate, he stated that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is the law, and he supports it.

Political campaigns

2008

A special election in Mississippi's 1st congressional district was triggered when 12-year Republican incumbent Roger Wicker was appointed by Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour to the United States Senate seat vacated by Trent Lott.

Childers was endorsed by many prominent newspapers in the region: the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal,[7] the Commercial Dispatch,[8] and the Commercial Appeal.[9]

Several candidates qualified for the election. In the initial April 22 special election, Childers won 49.4 percent of the vote, falling just 400 votes short of the majority (50 percent plus one) needed to avoid a runoff. On May 13, Childers faced Republican candidate Greg Davis (who had won 46.3 percent on April 22).[10][11] Childers won the runoff.

This election returned the district to the Democrats. The seat was held by Democrat Jamie Whitten of Charleston for 54 years, the longest tenure of any congressman until Michigan representative John Dingell passed the mark on February 11, 2009. Whitten retired in 1995 and was succeeded by Wicker. Childers' victory came as a major shock to the Republicans. The district has a decided conservative bent; Wicker had won his first race for the seat with 63 percent of the vote and had faced no serious opposition since then. The district has supported the official Democratic candidate for president only once since 1956; George W. Bush carried the district with 62 percent of the vote in 2004.

2008 general

Childers faced Greg Davis again in the general election on November 4, 2008.[1] Childers defeated Davis 54% to 44%.[12]

2010

Childers ran for re-election on November 2, 2010. He was challenged by Republican State Senator Alan Nunnelee, Constitutionalist Gail Giaramita, Libertarian Harold Taylor, Reformist Barbara Dale Washer, and Independent Wally Pang. Nunnelee defeated Childers.[13]

2014 Senate election

Childers ran for the United States Senate in 2014.[14][15] His Republican opponent was incumbent Thad Cochran. Childers was endorsed by the Alliance for Retired Americans during his Senate campaign.[16] Childers lost the election to Cochran on November 4, 2014.

Positions on issues

Childers identifies himself as a moderate Democrat. Childers supports increased funding for public education. He favored a swift withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.[17] He is against privatization of Social Security and raising the age of retirement. Childers describes himself as pro-life and pro-gun,[18] and he was endorsed by the National Right to Life Committee[19] and the National Rifle Association[20] in his 2010 reelection campaign. Childers said he supports job creation, increasing the minimum wage and is a strong advocate for public education.[21] Childers supports tax breaks for small businesses that put people back to work, and ending tax breaks for companies that ship jobs to India and China.[22] He supports equal pay for women, and increasing the minimum wage to a livable wage.[23] Citing the national debt, Childers pledged to support a Balanced Budget Amendment. Childers has been described as a Blue Dog Democrat.[24]

Personal life

Childers and his wife, Tami, have two children: Dustin, a recent graduate from Mississippi College School of Law, and Lauren, a graduate of the University of Mississippi. Lauren Childers was Miss University of Mississippi 2010. Childers and his family attend the East Booneville Baptist Church.

References

  1. 1 2 "'''Clarion Ledger''': Childers wins 1st District for Democrats". Clarionledger.com. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
  2. 1 2 http://childersforsenate.com/about-travis/. Retrieved 2014-05-14. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ↑ Associated Press/gulflive.com
  4. ↑ Travis W. Childers Principal Broker, Childers Realty and Associates
  5. 1 2 "Project Vote Smart - Representative Travis W. Childers - Voting Record". Votesmart.org. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
  6. ↑ Brett (2010-03-25). "Childers Won't Push Healthcare Repeal " Majority In Mississippi". Majorityinms.com. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
  7. ↑ "Editorial: Childers best choice." Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal 18 April 2008.
  8. ↑ "Childers for Congress." Commercial Dispatch 20 April 2008 Archived July 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ↑ "Childers for Mississippi's 1st District." Commercial Appeal 11 May 2008.
  10. ↑ Clarion Ledger: Mississippi - County Vote Results, April 22, 2008
  11. ↑ "An Alarm Bell Goes Off for GOP in Mississippi". Realclearpolitics.com. 2008-04-23. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
  12. ↑ "Local and National Election Results - Election Center 2008 - Elections & Politics from". CNN.com. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
  13. ↑ "Blue Dog Childers unseated in 1st District". Hattiesburg American. Associated Press. November 2, 2010.
  14. ↑ Politico
  15. ↑ Ex-Rep. Travis Childers (D) considering run for Mississippi Senate seat
  16. ↑
  17. ↑ Brumfield, Patsy R.; EMILY LE COZ (2008-04-23). "Childers, Davis to meet yet again May 13". Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. Archived from the original on April 23, 2008.
  18. ↑ "'''Electoral-Vote.com''': May 13th Special Election". Electoral-vote.com. 2000-12-31. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
  19. ↑ "Miss. Right to Life Grades The Candidates". Majorityinms.com. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
  20. ↑ West, Phil. "Travis Childers receives NRA endorsement". Commercialappeal.com. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
  21. ↑
  22. ↑
  23. ↑
  24. ↑ "Blue Dog Coalition". House.gov. 2009-04-27. Archived from the original on June 15, 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Roger Wicker		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Mississippi's 1st congressional district
2008–2011 		Succeeded by
Alan Nunnelee
Party political offices
Preceded by
Erik Fleming		 Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Mississippi
(Class 2)
2014 		Most recent
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