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	(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 was the U.S. Representative for Mississippi's 1st congressional district from 2008 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.^[1] The district includes much of the northern portion of the state including New Albany, Columbus, Oxford, Southaven, and Tupelo. First elected in a 2008 special election, Childers was defeated for re-election in 2010.^[2]

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, John Wayne Childers (a native of Glen), died when his son was 16 years old; in high school he worked nights and weekends at the first convenience store in Booneville to support his mother, Betty, and sister, Tammy. He is of French, Italian, Swiss, English, Chickasaw, and Choctaw descent.

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

While a student at Ole Miss, Childers became licensed as a Real Estate Salesperson by the Mississippi Real Estate Commission (MREC) and consequently became a Realtor. After graduating 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, a successful Northeast Mississippi real estate firm. He also owns, with his wife Tami, Landmark Community, a personal care home, and Landmark Nursing Center, an 80-bed skilled care facility and Alzheimer's disease unit.

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

U.S. House of Representatives

Committee assignments

• Committee on Agriculture
  • Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry
  • Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
• Committee on Financial Services
  • Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
  • Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit

Tenure

Childers, a Blue Dog Democrat,^[3] votes 83% of the time with his party,^[4] but has been described as a conservative Democrat.^[5] Like many Democrats from Mississippi, he is pro-life and pro-gun,^[6] and he was endorsed by the National Right to Life Committee^[7] and the National Rifle Association^[8] in his 2010 rerelection campaign. However, on economic issues, Childers tends to vote more with his party. He supports increased funding for public education. He also favors a swift withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.^[9]

In the 111th Congress, while voting for the stimulus packages and reauthorization of SCHIP,^[10] Childers has voted against several more controversial bills, most notably the "Helping Families Save Their Homes Act".^[11] Childers bucked the Democratic leadership in voting against both versions of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009.^[12]

More recently Childers voted against the 2009 Matthew Shepard Act (H.R. 1913) and joined most Blue Dog Democrats in opposing the 2009 American Clean Energy and Security Act.^[13] Childers voted with 38 other Democrats against the Affordable Health Care for America Act.^[14] However, he is against full repeal of the bill.^[15]

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 the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal,^[16] the Commercial Dispatch,^[17] and the Commercial Appeal.^[18]

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).^[19][20] 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 hadn't faced serious opposition since. The district has only supported the official Democratic candidate for president once since 1956; George W. Bush carried the district with 62 percent of the vote in 2004.

2008 General

Childers and Davis faced each other again in the general election on November 4, 2008.^[1] Childers won a full term, defeating Davis 54% to 44%.^[21]

2010

Childers was up 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.^[2]

2014 Senate

Childers has said he is considering running for Senate in 2014.^[22] Incumbent Republican Thad Cochran is running for re-election.

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

External links

• Travis Childers for U.S. Congress Official campaign site
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Travis Childers Realty & Associates