The Hill: Some GOPers blame Lott

TheHill.com - Some blame Lott for tough GOP defeat in Mississippi - House GOP leaders have taken the blame for last week’s devastating loss in Mississippi, but in some Republican circles the real culprit is former Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss). Lott created the House opening by opting to leave Congress late last year before tougher lobbying restrictions went into effect. After his departure, Rep. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) was appointed to serve out Lott’s unexpired term, which created the need for the special election to fill Wicker’s seat. Republicans were irked that Lott would retire early just to serve his own financial interests. Lott also bucked his own Mississippi congressional colleagues by supporting Greg Davis, the Southaven mayor and former state legislator who lost to Democrat Travis Childers. The rest of the delegation backed former Tupelo mayor and former Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Chairman Glenn McCullough Jr. The senior statesman’s decision to go against his delegation contributed to a bruising, hard-fought primary runoff that left Mississippi GOP voters divided — and, quite possibly, left the stronger general-election candidate on the sidelines. One GOP lobbyist on K Street also cited Lott’s $200,000 gift to his alma mater, the University of Mississippi, as contributing to the perception that he’s not doing everything he can to help House Republican reelection efforts. That money, the source said, would have been better spent on contributions to GOP campaigns across the country.

The race goes on

Daily Journal - 1st District candidates participate in kid Q&A

Daily Journal - Upcoming 1st District votes look competitive

Daily Journal - Support, but not an endorsement

Davis v Childers

Greg Davis - 16,830 - 50.8%
Glen McCullough - 16,305 - 49.2%

Ttravis Childers - 20,729 - 57.3%
Steve Holland - 15,439 - 43.7%

5 days to go

AP - 2 simultaneous elections puzzle some Miss. voters - People go to the polls April 1 for the Democratic and Republican primary runoffs to set the ballot for the November general election. The winner in November will serve a two-year term in Washington, starting in January.

On April 22, there is a nonpartisan special election in the 1st District to fill the final few months of a U.S. House term that Republican Roger Wicker started in early 2007. Wicker left the House seat in December after Gov. Haley Barbour appointed him to fill a Senate seat left vacant by the early retirement of Republican Trent Lott.

In Monroe County, Circuit Clerk Judy Butler said Wednesday that many voters don't understand there are overlapping elections for the congressional seat. Adding to the mix in Monroe County, Aberdeen has its regularly scheduled municipal elections going on now - and some voters will have to drive to one precinct for the municipal elections and another for the congressional election. "We have major confusion here," Butler said.

Tuesday's congressional runoffs are follow-ups to the March 11 primary elections. None of the Republican or Democratic candidates received a majority in the primaries, forcing runoffs for both parties. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the special election, another runoff election would be held May 13 to decide that contest. Party affiliations are not listed on the special election ballot.

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WREG - Campaign Heats Up in Mississippi's First Congressional District - Candidates like Southaven's Greg Davis are looking for people like Shannon Fulcher, who aren't regular voters. "Actually I hadn't voted in the last few years and I got out this time and voted in the primaries." said Fulcher.

It's true. Close local and national races have more of us paying attention, and telling the candidates what's important. "Well, people are concerned about the economy. Obviously the economy and the price of fuel." said candidate Glenn McCullough of Tupelo. Glenn McCullough Criss-crossed the district, from Alabama to Tennessee to Rev up Republicans wherever he could find them. "We believe that conservative Republicans will vote on Tuesday and we're optimistic they'll respond to our campaign." He said.

But with two conservative republicans in this race, it'll come down to who can win the most minds and get them to the voting booth. "The higher the numbers come out it'll be at least more representative congressman that you have versus a small few determine who does to Washington." said Candidate and Southaven Mayor Greg Davis.

Why are these candidates working extra hard to get voters' attention? First, runoffs almost never draw big numbers. But this year they have an extra big problem. Many Republicans crossed over to vote in the Democratic Presidential primary, and now they cannot cross back to vote in the runoff. But those who didn't vote can choose either party. "We figure we lost about 3-4 thousand votes here in DeSoto County alone, but there are some 20-thousand people who didn't come to the polls." said Davis.

So now the race is on, to get those thousands to make a choice. "Possibilities. Possibilities for the future. That's what our campaign's all about." Said McCullough. And these men say North Mississippi's future isn't something to take lightly. "Don't let your neighbor vote in your congressman. You go, take, again, 15 minutes. It's all it would take and cast the ballot regardless of what the weather may be doing that day." Davis explained. But is the motivation working? "I'm Definitely in the spirit." said Fulcher.

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ChrisBrownForHouse - Election April 1.....April Fools Day??? 1st Congressional District - This is a friendly reminder of the run-off election coming up on April 1st. We need to get all our people to the polls to vote. Our country and our state have many obstacles to address and it will take strong Conservative leadership to guide us safely in the future. Now is not the time to show weakness to our enemies. We must be strong and stand up against those that seek to destroy us. Let us all join together to elect true Conservatives to office and not end up making April 1 live up to its name. I would encourage you to go to the polls on Tuesday April 1st and vote for Glenn McCullough Jr. for our next congressman. It is with prayerful consideration and many visits with Glenn that I ask for you to support him. He is a good Christian man that will stand up for the un-born. He will defend our rights and freedoms that we hold dear. He will fight illegal immigration. He will work to lower taxes. He will be a strong voice for Conservative causes in Washington. Again, Please go to the polls and vote Glenn McCullough Jr. for our next 1st District U.S. Congressman, you will be proud you did. www.glenn08.com

Cochran Supports McCullough

DeSoto Times - Cochran throws support to McCullough - U.S. Senator Thad Cochran, the state's senior U.S. Senator, is supporting former Tupelo Mayor Glenn L. McCullough, Jr. in the First U.S. Congressional District race. Cochran, the state's senior U.S. Senator, is supporting McCullough through a $5,000 contribution announced Monday.

"I was thrilled to get Senator Cochran's phone call offering his support and I am very humbled by it, " McCullough said. "Senator Cochran is our state's most powerful voice in Washington and all Mississippians respect and admire him. His confidence means a lot to me."

The contribution was made from Cochran's Leadership PAC, the Senate Victory Fund. The contribution will be noted in the campaign's required Federal Election Commission (FEC) filing.

McCullough said he and Cochran have worked together on projects for 15 years, first as a member of Governor Kirk Fordice's administration and then as Mayor of Tupelo and Chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority. McCullough was appointed to the latter position by President Bush on Sen. Cochran's recommendation.

In 1978, Thad Cochran was elected to the United States Senate becoming the first Republican in over 100 years to win a statewide election in Mississippi. Since 1978, he has been re-elected every six years, most recently in 2002 with 85 percent of the vote. Cochran currently serves on the Agriculture, Appropriations and Rules committees.

In April of 2006, Time Magazine named Senator Cochran one of "America's 10 Best Senators," calling him the "Quiet Persuader" to describe the "courtly manner in which he gets important things accomplished for the State of Mississippi and the nation."

McCullough led all candidates in the March 11 primary and now seeks the 50 percent plus one majority needed to earn the Republican nomination on April 1. He faces Southaven Mayor Greg Davis in the April 1 run-off. McCullough also received the endorsement of the third-place finisher in the March 11 primary, Dr. Randy Russell of Oxford.

Davis has received the support of former U.S. Sen. Trent Lott. Lott's resignation in December set off a chain reaction in Mississippi politics. Former U.S. Rep. Roger Wicker was tapped to take Lott' s seat, making his old House seat vacant.

Six days to go

Clarion Ledger - Sid Salter - 2008 congressional races present important, difficult choices - Democrats will choose between Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Travis Childers of Booneville and longtime state Rep. Steve Holland of Plantersville. Childers, a political newcomer outside his home county, showed surprising strength in leading the Democratic ticket in the first primary. In the Democratic second primary, Childers will face Holland - the outspoken, sometimes controversial legislator who has openly battled Gov. Haley Barbour on issues like Medicaid and education funding. Legislative experience and name recognition should be on Holland's side, but unfortunately not all Holland's name recognition has been beneficial to him. On the Republican side, Southaven Mayor Greg Davis faces former TVA chairman and former Tupelo mayor Glenn McCullough in the second primary. McCullough led the ticket in the first primary. The Davis-McCullough showdown has taken on a strange twist in that Cochran has endorsed the candidacy of McCullough while former U.S. Sen. Trent Lott has thrown his support to Davis. Cochran and Lott didn't see eye-to-eye on a number of issues - some policy, most politics - while they served together in Congress. Seems McCullough fell from favor with Lott when he refused to endorse a Lott-backed TVA initiative that McCullough found to be dubious.
Davis has DeSoto County numbers on his side, but McCullough showed surprising strength in the district's rural counties.

ClarionLedger.com - Jere Nash - Update on Congressional Finances - Greg Davis -- $222,662.99; Glenn McCullough -- $177,034.01; As for the Democratic runoff in the First Congressional District, at least if you believe the FEC reports, both candidates are virtually out of money. Travis Childers, who led the field, reported $9,456.21 cash on hand at the March 12 close of the pre-runoff report and has disclosed $2,000 in contributions since then. As for Steve Holland, his pre-runoff FEC report shows a NEGATIVE cash balance of $93,061.70 as of March 12. Since these FEC reports are supposed to be filed using the cash basis of accounting, instead of the accrual basis, I am at a loss to explain a negative cash balance. In any event, since that report, he has reported receiving only $10,300 in contributions.

New McCullough Spots

Possibilities


Sinking

Cochran for McCullough

Daily Journal - Cochran supports McCullough, donates $5,000 - U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran's support of 1st District congressional candidate Glenn McCullough Jr. came Monday, along with a $5,000 contribution from Cochran's leadership PAC, the McCullough campaign announced. Republicans McCullough and Southaven Mayor Greg Davis square off in the runoff election April 1, along with Democrats Travis Childers of Booneville and Steve Holland of Plantersville. The primary nominees will face off with two independents in the Nov. 4 general election. "I was thrilled to get Senator Cochran's phone call offering his support and I am very humbled by it," McCullough said in a news release. "Senator Cochran is our state's most powerful voice in Washington and all Mississippians respect and admire him. His confidence means a lot to me." The Davis campaign said it respects the two men's longstanding personal relationship but cited McCullough's "lavish spending" as TVA chairman as "something Mississippi taxpayers would want from someone representing them in Congress." McCullough said Cochran has seen his work up close for 15 years, first as a member of Gov. Fordice's administration and since then as mayor of Tupelo and chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority. McCullough was appointed to TVA by President Clinton and to its leadership by President Bush on Cochran's recommendation. Last week, former Sen. Trent Lott endorsed Davis for the 1st District post with a donation through his PAC.

DeSoto Vote

Commercial Appeal - 'Every vote counts' to Davis - Southaven Mayor Greg Davis captured nearly 71 percent of DeSoto County's Republican vote in the March 11 primary for the state's 1st District House seat, but that didn't stop him from canvassing his home county hard on the first day of spring last week. "Every vote counts," Davis, who actually got 70.9 percent, said at the Forever Young Seniors monthly luncheon in Southaven, where he was the guest speaker. "We're hitting all areas of the district, no matter how many votes came out of the primary."

Davis, 42, knows it's important to not take any vote for granted in what is likely an uphill battle to defeat former Tupelo mayor and Tennessee Valley Authority chairman Glenn McCullough, 53, in an April 1 runoff for the Republican nomination. Despite Davis' commanding DeSoto County lead over McCullough and a third Republican candidate in the primary, Davis finished second districtwide on March 11. He finished with about 37 percent of the vote, compared to about 39 percent for McCullough. Further complicating things for Davis is the fact that the third candidate in the primary, Dr. Randy Russell of Oxford, has thrown his support to McCullough. Russell received about 24 percent of the vote.

McCullough has positioned himself as the "true conservative" candidate, a strategy that seemed to hit home and help him gain momentum in the sprawling district that covers much of northeast Mississippi. "Glenn's campaign has the momentum because of his values and his stance on taxes," Brad Davis, McCullough's campaign manager and no relation to Greg Davis, said in a statement.

Greg Davis said he isn't deterred, however, because he's confident in the voters and their ability to decide for themselves. That's why, over the past two weeks, Davis has put 4,000 miles on his Pontiac. In one day, he went to four events, crisscrossing DeSoto County. He also debated McCullough in Aberdeen on Thursday night, and he rallied 100 volunteers in Corinth in Alcorn County Friday before attending an Ole Miss baseball game in Oxford on Saturday night. "I've been to all the counties in the district," Davis said.

Another factor that could work to Davis' disadvantage was the large crossover vote in the primary, in which many DeSoto County voters who might have supported his candidacy chose to vote in the Democratic primary instead so that they could vote in the hotly contested presidential race between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. The problem for Davis is that those who crossed over cannot now cross back to support him in the runoff. That's a fact that many potential voters told Davis they did not realize when they voted Democratic. "The crossover voting is a huge issue," Davis acknowledged, but he said he's not disillusioned by it. Instead, Davis told the more than 100 seniors gathered at the Tennis Center that his campaign is now after those who didn't vote at all in the primary. He estimated that some 20,000 voters in the county didn't turn out.

Davis also received a boost last week from Trent Lott, the former senator whose December retirement announcement set in motion the moves that opened up the House seat. Lott endorsed Davis by donating $8,000 to his campaign. "Over the course of the 18 years I have served in public office, I had the distinct privilege of working alongside Sen. Lott on many projects important to our District," Davis said, "and his support of my campaign is a sign of good things to come."

The Money Race

Clarion Ledger - Congressional race spending mounting - Republican and former Tupelo Mayor Glenn McCullough Jr. holds the fundraising lead. McCullough raised nearly $470,000 from Jan. 1 to March 12, according to the latest filings with the Federal Election Commission. He spent about half of his campaign cash to pay OnMessage Inc., a GOP political consulting firm in Alexandria, Va., for advertising and other campaign services. The firm also has provided campaign commercials for Mississippi's Sen. Thad Cochran and former Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck, both Republicans. McCullough's campaign also spent $3,500 to survey likely Republican runoff voters in his race against Southaven Mayor Greg Davis. The runoff was scheduled because none of the 1st District candidates won at least 51 percent of the vote in Mississippi's March 11 primary. McCullough campaign manager Brad Davis said the survey, conducted March 12-13, showed McCullough leading Greg Davis 45 percent to 38 percent.

But earlier polls conducted by the Davis campaign showed the Southaven mayor with a lead, said campaign spokesman Ted Prill. He would not discuss results of a more recent poll conducted by the campaign. "Let's just say it's going to be a very competitive race," Prill said. Greg Davis' campaign raised nearly $390,000 in the period ending March 12. Since then, his campaign has been given $8,000 from Lott's campaign. Under federal law, Lott is required to donate his leftover campaign funds to candidates or charities. Davis also has loaned his campaign $30,000. The campaign spent more than $135,000 to broadcast television ads.

Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Travis Childers raised nearly $206,000, but about $100,000 of that was a personal loan to his campaign. Childers' Democratic rival, state Rep. Steve Holland of Plantersville, raised $158,322 but spent more than that, leaving his campaign more than $90,000 in debt on March 12.

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ClarionLedger.com - Jere Nash Blog - Congressional Campaign Finance Update - Republican candidates in the runoffs for the First and Third Congressional District slots have filed their pre-runoff reports with the FEC (which covered financial activity through March 12) and have since filed 48-hour reports to disclose major contributions received since March 12. If we add all of the 48-hour contributions disclosed by the candidates to the cash-on-hand balances they disclosed on their March 12 pre-primary report, we get a pretty good idea of how much money the candidates have to spend in this runoff election. Here's how the money stacks up:

Greg Davis -- $146,562.99

Glenn McCullough -- $122,434.01

Gregg Harper -- $131,861.25

Charlie Ross -- $186,612.20

By and large, the candidates are relatively evenly matched in the money game. Ross is ahead in his race because he contributed $55,000 of his own money to the cause. And the Trent Lott endorsement has apparently helped Greg Davis raise some extra money.

McCullough, Davis Debate

Daily Journal - GOP candidates Davis, McCullough face off in debate - Republican congressional candidates Greg Davis and Glenn McCullough Jr. debated for more than an hour at the Elkin Theater here Thursday night in front of a crowd of roughly 50 people. The candidates, who are vying for the party's nomination in the April 1 runoff election, each answered nine questions posed by the event's three panelists: Craig Ford of WTVA, Steve Rodgers of WCBI, and Chris Brown of the Monroe County Republican Committee. Phil Hardwick with the Stennis Institute of Government moderated the debate, which it co-sponsored with the county's GOP committee.

Both candidates shared similar views on issues like abortion, the war in Iraq, gun ownership and Republican presidential candidate John McCain - they're anti-abortion, in support of the war, pro-gun ownership and favor McCain for president. But Davis, the mayor of Southaven, and McCullough, former mayor of Tupelo, differed on other matters. And the panelists grilled each of them on some hot-button topics in the campaign.

What follows are excerpts from the debate.

Q: Why did property taxes and the mayor's salary increase during Davis' time as mayor of Southaven?

A:Davis - The tax increase went up by a vote of 72 percent of the voters, who decided to eliminate the city's sanitation fee from the utility bill and shift it to property taxes. As for the salary, the board of aldermen determined the pay raise.

Q:What specifically would you cut from the federal budget to better control spending?

A:McCullough - Those decisions are never easy. But I would look at how a social program affects the family ... or a small or large business owner. I think you've got to take the budget line item by line item and make hard decisions. One of the shortcomings of our Republican party is that we've been fiscally, financially irresponsible these past few years.

A:Davis - How about the $2 million to study yoga that was put in the defense bill? Or the $2 million to study paint shields to prevent microbiological organisms from getting in paint? Or the $278,000 for a Lincoln Airport Commission that has no airport? Enough is enough. Quit wasting our tax dollars and let the federal government be what it's supposed to be.

Q:Former Sen. Trent Lott supported McCullough's appointment to the Tennessee Valley Authority board and later criticized his performance. Why?

A:- McCullough - I voted to bring online the first nuclear reactor in this country during my tenure. TVA invested $1.7 billion on my watch to make sure we had affordable, reliable electricity in the air and make sure the air was cleaner, removing emissions up to 70 percent while I was there. I helped bring careers to the people of the 1st Congressional district, helped implement the first-in-the-world megasite certification process ... . For almost six years at TVA, there was only one rate change while other utilities around us were raising rates every year. I'm proud of my performance.

A:Davis - I wouldn't begin to speculate why Sen. Lott does what he does, but I do appreciate his support. I don't think the fact that I ran as an independent the last time made any difference in Lott's support. (The McCullough camp in the past has accused Davis of not being a true Republican because he ran as an independent when he first ran for the legislature in the early '90s). Both of us (Davis and McCullough) have signed a form to run as independents in this special election, just as I did when I ran as an independent for the first time for the Legislature.

Q:How would you have voted for the bill against earmarks?

A:Davis - All earmarks should be stopped until we get control of spending. Before earmarks came back, we'd need to make sure there would be an economic return on investment.

A:McCullough - I'm firmly against wasteful government spending. I'm not in Congress or the Senate, and I'm not sure how Cochran or Wicker voted.

48 Hour Reports

Greg Davis has filed a 48 Hour Report listing $61,300 in contributions and Glenn McCullough has filed two reports ($31,500 and $18,900) totaling $50,400.

Lott for Davis

Roll Call - Lott Backs Davis in Mississippi GOP Runoff - Former Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) — who remains one of the most influential figures in Magnolia State politics — has lent his support to Southaven Mayor Greg Davis in the tightly contested 1st district Republican runoff. The Davis campaign on Wednesday released a letter of support from the former Senate Majority Leader reporting $8,000 in contributions from Lott.

Lott’s support of Davis in the runoff is particularly interesting because back in 2001 Lott was a key voice of support for McCullough when the former Tupelo mayor earned a presidential appointment to serve as chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority. But according to published reports, Lott soured on McCullough by the time his term as TVA chairman expired in 2005 and the Senator publicly opposed his renomination that year. Lott said at the time that he believed the TVA’s board had not done enough to address the agency’s then-$25 billion debt during McCullough’s time on the board and told the Chattanooga Times Free Press, “I’d rather that he not stay on the board.” In his letter of support to Davis, Lott said: “I am extremely proud to participate in your campaign through these contributions as I know you will work to preserve and defend the principles we both share.” Davis said he was “honored and humbled” by Lott’s support.

Hot Air = 6.3

The Hill - ‘3 a.m.’ ad unconvincing - Mississippi primary runoff candidate Glenn McCullough’s (R) ad animating the U.S. Capitol building as a balloon full of “hot air” got a 6.3 from GOPers. McCullough, a former Tupelo mayor, faces Southaven Mayor Greg Davis on April 1. The winner will run for Sen. Roger Wicker’s (R-Miss.) former House seat.

Turnbow on Polls: McCullough, Childers

Turnbow.net - New Poll in local Congressional race - A friend last night passed along some new poll numbers in the special election for Roger Wickers congressional seat in northeast mississippi in a few weeks. The results are kind of surprising.....Glen McCullough now has a 45-38 lead over Greg Davis. On the democrat side, Prentiss County Court Clerk Travis Childers has pulled ahead of State Rep Steve Holland by a 51-41 margin. The dems are getting very excited about Childers chances according to what I heard. But I dont know about the GOP poll though. Desoto County is Greg Davis's base and it has exploded in growth in recent years. According to the Commercial Appeal yesterday, its population hit the 150,000 mark this month. That and McCulloughs problems with the TVA should bode well for Davis come election day in two weeks.

Roll Call: McCullough Leading

Roll Call - New Poll Shows McCullough Leading in Mississippi Runoff - With two weeks to go in Mississippi’s 1st district Republican primary runoff, a new poll released this week by Glenn McCullough’s campaign showed the former Tupelo mayor with a 7-point lead over Southaven Mayor Greg Davis.

The On Message Inc. survey of 400 likely voters showed McCullough with 45 percent and Davis with 38 percent. It had a 4.9-point margin of error. The poll was conducted on the two days following the primary election on March 11 in which McCullough earned 39 percent and Davis took 37 percent.

The On Message polling memo appeared to confirm the come-from-behind nature of McCullough’s primary campaign.

In late February, a Public Opinion Strategies poll conducted for Davis’ campaign gave Davis an 18-point lead. The On Message memo noted that McCullough’s own campaign had the former Tupelo mayor down by 23 points in a Feb. 12 poll.

But McCullough came on strong by rallying his Tupelo base — which also was now-Sen. Roger Wicker’s (R) base during his seven House terms — and in the rural areas of Northern Mississippi. In the primary he beat Davis in 18 of 24 counties in the district. He also outraised Davis over the last 10 days of the campaign, according to Federal Election Commission reports.

The On Message polling memo said that “the only path to victory that remains for Greg Davis is to pursue a high-risk strategy of negative messaging. ... With his vote share decreasing, we fully expect Davis to remain negative throughout the runoff election.”

Salter: McCullough leads Davis / Debate Confirmed

ClarionLedger.com - Sid Salter Blog - New poll data: McCullough leads Davis 45 percent to 38 percent - Former Tupelo mayor and former TVA chairman Glenn McCullough has opened a seven percent lead on Southaven Mayor Greg Davis in the 1st Congressional District Republican second primary, according to a poll released by OnMessage, Inc. The poll shows both candidates with around 13 to 14 percent "unfavorable" ratings with McCullough's "favorable" ratings about 3 percent higher that Davis. The pollsters tell McCullough that the Davis campaign "has stagnated and is losing ground. Historically, candidates that lose momentum this rapidly always garner an even smaller percentage of the vote in the runoff election. This is exactly the scenario Davis now faces." In addition, the pollsters say that McCullough has climbed 23 percent in the last month on the "ballot test" to 48 percent. The OnMessage survey was conducted March 12 and 13, 2008. All interviews were conducted via telephone. The survey consists of 400 voters screened for likely participation in the April 1 Republican runoff election. Interviews were stratified by county to reflect turnout in the March 11 Republican primary. The margin of error for this study is +/- 4.9%.

ClarionLedger.com - Sid Salter Blog - 1st Congressional District GOP debates confirmed March 20 and March 27 - Lydia Quarles at the MSU Stennis Institute of Government has confirmed that 1st Congressional District GOP candidates Greg Davis and Glenn McCullough will debate March 20 in Aberdeen and March 27 in Senatobia. Thursday 20th: Debate in Aberdeen at Elkins Theatre on Commerce Street. GOP only. Doors open 6:30 for "meet and greet" with debate beginning at 7-ish. Debate will be between 60 and 75 minutes. 3 minute opening statements, questions directed to 1 candidate who has 2 minutes to answer, other candidate then given 2 minutes for rebuttal/response. Ending with 3 minute closings. There will be space available in the lobby of the Elkins for candidates to distribute materials. Thursday 27th: Debate in Senatobia on campus of Northwest MS CC. Same time frame and protocol.

Roll Call: Runoffs Loom

Roll Call - Magnolia State Runoffs Loom - Don’t expect as much excitement out of Mississippi’s 1st and 3rd district general elections as there has been in the primaries. Unofficial results gave former Tupelo Mayor Glenn McCullough (R) 39 percent and Southhaven Mayor Greg Davis (R) 37 percent.

While a Public Opinion Strategies poll conducted in late February for Davis’ campaign gave Davis an 18-point lead, McCullough appeared to come on strong in the last two weeks. Not only was he able to rally his Tupelo base — which was also Wicker’s base during his seven House terms — but Tuesday’s vote showed that he beat Davis in 18 of 24 counties in the district. He also outraised Davis over the last 10 days of the campaign, according to Federal Election Commission reports.

But the real surprise of the 1st district race was the third candidate, ophthalmologist Randy Russell (R), who picked up 24 percent of the vote despite being picked by many state insiders to finish in the single digits. Russell’s unexpectedly strong showing was funded in large part by the $145,000 of his own money. By Wednesday afternoon, media reports indicated that Russell was preparing to throw his support behind McCullough in the runoff. The move would be another blow to Davis’ campaign, though far from a knockout punch.

According to county results posted in the Clarion Ledger newspaper, Davis had a strong showing in DeSoto County, the district’s largest GOP stronghold. More than half of Davis’ 16,161 votes came from DeSoto, while McCullough was only able to pick up 1,856 in the county and Russell took 1,656 there. And by all accounts, the DeSoto turnout was lower than expected. If Davis can energize his DeSoto base, and pick up the voters in the county that went to Russell, he will put himself in a very good position in the runoff despite Russell’s support of McCullough.

The Democratic primary in the 1st district also ended in a runoff between Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Travis Childers, who took 42 percent, and state Rep. Steve Holland, who took 31 percent. Both would face an uphill challenge in a general election in a district that President Bush carried with 62 percent in his 2004 reelection campaign. But state Democrats were encouraged by the fact that more than twice as many people voted in the Democratic primary than in the Republican contest. Indeed, Childers’ nearly 40,000 votes was close to the total number of votes that were cast in the Republican primary.

DeSoto Crossover

Commercial Appeal - Crossover voting in Tuesday's primary elections figured prominently in the races for the 1st District congressional seat -- in both parties. Undoubtedly, that was a factor in DeSoto County. "It cost us several hundred votes, yes," said Chris Wilson, chairman of the DeSoto County Republican Party Executive Committee, who was working hard for the Davis campaign.

Samuel Williams, DeSoto County chairman for the Democratic Party, said the crossovers "gave us a bunch of votes. It could have been several thousand. "I believe we got more Democratic Party votes (Tuesday) than for any race here I can remember, certainly more than for any primary."

With the runoff just three weeks away, Davis, 42, and McCullough, 53, were both back on the campaign trail Wednesday. "We're out knocking on doors and making phone calls and thanking all the folks for their support," Davis said.

Meanwhile, Russell, 54, was preparing to endorse McCullough in the runoff race. Today, at a press conference at the Hampton Inn in Oxford, Russell said he plans to announce his support for McCullough. "Glenn shares our same political philosophy," Russell said. Davis responded, "Dr. Russell has the right to support whoever he wants. I just think the voters of the 1st District are smart enough to make up their own minds."

Crossover voting may have occurred in other counties of the district, but no county would have had the number of crossover votes that DeSoto had. Impact? Davis was getting a steady 70 percent of the vote in the Republican Party primary in DeSoto County. If 3,000 Republicans crossed over, the likely loss to Davis in the county would have been about 2,100 votes -- enough to put him ahead of McCullough, but not enough to avoid a runoff.

Russell Endorses McCullough

Daily Journal - Russell to endorse McCullough - Dr. Randy Russell of Oxford, who pulled in 24 percent of Tuesday's Republican vote for 1st District Congress, said he will endorse the race frontrunner, former Tupelo Mayor Glenn L. McCullough Jr. "He is the closest to us in political philosophy," Russell said in a telephone conversation.

Rothenberg Political Report - Mississippi 1: Russell Expected to Endorse McCullough - McCullough edged out Davis 39%-37% in Tuesday's initial balloting, with Dr. Randy Russell finishing third with 24%. Now, Russell is likely to endorse McCullough.

Daily Journal - McCullough moves into runoff with Russell's support - Former Tupelo Mayor Glenn McCullough's quest to win the 1st District congressional seat got a big boost Wednesday when the third-place finisher, Dr. Randy Russell of Oxford, gave him his endorsement in the April 1 Republican runoff. Russell ran a strong race with 24 percent in Tuesday's primary across the district, which includes 23 north Mississippi counties and one precinct in another. McCullough led the ticket with 39 percent and is in the runoff with Southaven Mayor Greg Davis, who received 37 percent. "We believe he is the closest to us in political philosophy," Russell said in a Wednesday afternoon phone interview with the Daily Journal. He said news conferences are set today districtwide to publicize his endorsement.

The Oxford ophthalmologist has been a conservative activist throughout his long career in the Jackson area and now Lafayette County. He acknowledged he was outflanked and outspent Tuesday, but said he was proud his campaign had gone from 4 percent support two weeks ago to 24 percent by election day. "I thought it was a very good showing," he said.

A McCullough aide said he had no immediate comment on the Russell endorsement, but will do so today at a 3 p.m. news conference in Oxford.

Davis aide Ted Prill, when asked about the Russell endorsement, said, "Every vote in the race is important. We respect Dr. Russell's decision." The Davis camp countered with news of an endorsement from Mississippi Right to Life that they said will be formally announced today.