Looking Good for Democrats in Mississippi

13.05.2008

In the special election in Mississippi's first congressional district that Eve mentioned, it looks like Democrat Travis W. Childers may well have pulled off a significant upset. With 79 percent of precincts reporting, Childers is taking 51 percent of the vote to 49 percent for Republican Greg Davis (about a 1,750-vote lead for Childers). Most of the votes outstanding are in three counties: Tate, Prentiss, and Itawamba. Tate County is a Davis stronghold in northwest Mississippi, but Prentiss is Childers's home county and should net him a couple thousand votes. Itawamba County is in the northeastern part of the state, where Childers has run very strong tonight (it also went for Childers in the primary election in April). And DeSoto County, Davis's home base in the southern suburbs of Memphis, has nearly finished reporting. It's still a little early to be calling anything, but things look pretty good for Childers at this point.

Suffice it to say this would not be a good sign for the GOP. Losing Denny Hastert's seat in Illinois was bad; losing Louisiana's sixth district to Don Cazayoux was worse. A loss in northern Mississippi (to a candidate who looks like Snidely Whiplash) would be close to catastrophic. This is a district no center-left party has any business winning.

Update: Jonathan Singer at MyDD says the AP has called it for Childers. I really wouldn't want to be John Boehner or Tom Cole tonight.

--Josh Patashnik

Posted: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 10:06 PM with 6 comment(s)

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Brent said:

While it's true that you can get into trouble reading too much into one (or three) special elections, the prospects for a GOP bloodbath are out there. In each of these elections, the RNCC has put a significant chunk (about 20%) of its cash on hand, with nothing to show for it. These results (along with the embezzlement scandal) has to just destroy their fundraising potential for the fall. A bad night to be John Boehner and Tom Cole indeed.

May 13, 2008 11:00 PM

mjhniner said:

Wait. Is that to imply that there IS a night that you would want to be John Boehner?! I feel like I need a shower every time I hear that man speak. Or at least a breathing treatment.

May 14, 2008 12:27 AM

liberal reformer said:

This is a coup, if it holds up. The Republican leadership has to be sweating over this. This victory (again, if it stands), would be something akin to a Republican winning Nancy Pelosi's seat in San Francisco.

May 14, 2008 1:24 AM

icarusr said:

Permanent Republican Majority. RIP. What conceit; what arrogance.

May 14, 2008 9:51 AM

thejauntyboulevardier said:

icarusr,

You said it brother. And the father of that glorious scheme is now employed as a "poliical analyst" over at the Mother Station. Who would listen to that idiot nowadays?

May 14, 2008 10:51 AM

fougasseu said:

There is no "Republican Leadership", there is no "Republican Majority", there is no Republican vision. There are only right-wing foreign policy freaks and hardball Crony Capitalists in the GOP, running with lobbyists for Big Defense, Wall Street, Big Pharma, Big Healthcare, and Big Ag. McBush is no Reagan. They need a Reagan to take over and set the course. McBush is too old, too tired...and not much of a Republican to begin with.

May 14, 2008 11:47 AM