Travis Childers

Travis Childers
U.S. Representative Travis Wayne Childers
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi's 1st district
Incumbent
Assumed office May 20, 2008
Preceded by	Roger Wicker
Prentiss County Chancery Court Clerk
In office 1991–2008
Personal details
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Tami Childers
Children	Dustin & Lauren
Residence	Booneville, Mississippi
Alma mater	Northeast Mississippi Junior College University of Mississippi
Occupation	Realtor, lawyer
Website	Congressman Travis Childers

Travis Wayne Childers (born March 29, 1958 in Booneville, Mississippi) is the U.S. Representative from Mississippi's 1st congressional district. The district includes much of the northern portion of the state including Columbus, Oxford, Southaven, and Tupelo.

Early life and career

Childers was born in Booneville in Prentiss County, Mississippi. 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, Elizabeth "Betty" Childers, and sister, Tammy.

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. Congress

2008 Special Election

Main article: Mississippi's 1st congressional district special election, 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,, the Commercial Dispatch, and the Commercial Appeal

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). 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. Also, 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.

House Democratic leaders have stated they plan to appoint Childers to the Agriculture Committee.

2008 General Election

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Mississippi, 2008 § District 1

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

Political positions

Childers has been described as a conservative Democrat. Like many Democrats from Mississippi, he is pro-life and pro-gun. 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.

In the 111th Congress, while voting for the more widely popular stimulus packages and reauthorization of SCHIP, Childers has voted against several more controversial bills, most notably the "Helping Families Save Their Homes Act". Childers bucked the Democratic leadership in voting against both versions of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. As a whole, he has stayed true to his more populist beliefs but has worked hard to try and maintain a strong independent streak as he represents a highly conservative Southern district that supported both George W. Bush and John McCain with approximately 62% of the vote.

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

Personal life

Childers and his wife, Tami, have two children: Dustin, a first-year student at Mississippi College School of Law, and Lauren, a freshman at the University of Mississippi. Childers and his family attend the East Booneville Baptist Church.

External links

• Congressman Travis Childers, official U.S. House website
• Travis Childers for U.S. Congress official campaign website

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Profile at Vote Smart
• Travis Childers at Curlie
• Travis Childers Realty & Associates
• Travis Childers on YouTube
• Childers Travis Childers at MySpace

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