JFP & AP

Jackson Free Press: Two Districts Competitive in 2008? - Wicker’s old House District 1 seat is also up for grabs. “Wicker is interesting because Wicker’s district has been gradually turning more blue over the last few years, certainly in the local elections,” said Marty Wiseman, director of Mississippi State University’s Stennis Institute of Government. “Wicker’s district contains a lot of the white old-timey Democrats who didn’t switch over to Republican in the last few decades. In fact, after the recent November election, there’s really only about two or three red patches in Wicker’s district these days.” So far, four potential names are bubbling to the surface in a potential race for Wicker’s spot. Southaven Mayor Greg Davis filed to run in the campaign to replace Wicker last year, and former Tupelo Mayor Glen McCullough, Jr., could be another name on the Republican ticket. On the Democratic side, Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Travis Childers announced he was entering the race. Childers has served as chancery clerk of Prentiss County for 16 years, and recently won re-election with 75 percent of the vote. A prominent Democratic challenger could prove to be former Rep. Jamie Franks, who is looking for something to do since he lost his statewide election bid for lieutenant governor against former State Auditor Phil Bryant last year. “I can tell you on the record he’s seriously considering it,” said James Hull, Franks’ communication director during his campaign for lieutenant governor. “The First Congressional District is right in his backyard. He knows a lot of people, and he carried much of it during the last election,” Hull said. “He got more votes in Lee County, which trended Republican during the last two or three elections. He carried his own home county, and he did well in Clay County, Lowndes County, and he got more votes in Desoto County than any other office holder has got in a statewide election, ever. All of these counties are inside District 1. This is a highly winnable district for Democrats.”

Associated Press - 1st District candidates to campaign twice - Some candidates for Mississippi's 1st District are in for a lot of handshaking and stumping. as they'll have to campaign at least twice to win the U.S. House post. Barbour has 60 days from the date of Wicker's resignation from the House to set a special election for that seat. The winner will have less than a year left in the term. To qualify for the special election, candidates must submit a statement and the signatures of 1,000 registered voters from the district, said Chuck Bearman, chief of staff for outgoing Secretary of State Eric Clark. Meanwhile, Friday is the deadline for congressional candidates to file papers to run in the regularly scheduled party primaries March 11. The general election is Nov. 4. "It's a full year of campaigning and elections in this district," said Southaven Mayor Greg Davis, a candidate for the seat. "The one drawback about the primary being so soon is with 22 counties, it's going to be difficult to get around to meet everyone."
Davis and Glenn McCullough, the former mayor of Tupelo and a former member of the Tennessee Valley Authority, already have qualified for the Republican primary. "We are now in the process of putting the paperwork in place for that special election Gov. Barbour will call, and we obviously plan to be on the ballot Nov. 4," said McCullough, who was campaigning in DeSoto County on Wednesday.