2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Mississippi

← 2008 November 2, 2010 (2010-11-02) 2012 →
All 4 Mississippi seats to theUnited States House of Representatives
Majority party Minority party   Party Republican Democratic Last election 1 3 Seats won 3 1 Seat change 2 2 Popular vote 423,579 350,695 Percentage 53.71% 44.47% Swing 12.02% 13.39%
District results County results Republican   40–50%   50–60%   60–70%   70–80%   80–90% Democratic   40–50%   50–60%   60–70%   70–80%   80–90%

Elections were held on November 2, 2010, to determineMississippi's four members of theUnited States House of Representatives. Representatives were elected for two-year terms to serve in the112th United States Congress from January 3, 2011, until January 3, 2013.Primary elections were held on June 1, 2010, and primaryrunoff elections on June 22.^[1]

Of the four elections, the1st district was rated as competitive bySabato's Crystal Ball,^[2] and the 1st and4th districts were rated as competitive byThe Cook Political Report,^[3]CQ Politics^[4] andThe Rothenberg Political Report.^[5]

The Republican Party flipped the1st and4th districts, defeating incumbent DemocratsTravis Childers andGene Taylor, respectively. Twoincumbents were re-elected;DemocratBennie Thompson of the2nd district andRepublicanGregg Harper of the3rd district.^[6] In total, three Republicans and one Democrat were elected, marking the first time since1996 that the Republican Party won a majority of Mississippi's congressional districts, and only the second time sinceReconstruction.^[7] A total of 788,549 votes were cast, of which 423,579 (54 percent) were for Republican candidates, 350,695 (44 percent) were for Democratic candidates, 6,560 (1 percent) were for anindependent candidate, 4,292 (1 percent) were forReform Party candidates, 2,188 (0.3 percent) were forLibertarian Party candidates and 1,235 (0.2 percent) were for aConstitution Party candidate.^[8]

Results of the 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Mississippi by district:^[9]

2010 Mississippi's 1st congressional district election

← 2008 2012 →

Nominee Alan Nunnelee Travis Childers Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 121,074 89,388 Percentage 55.3% 40.8%

County results Nunnelee:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Morris:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%

U.S. Representative before election Travis Childers Democratic Elected U.S. Representative Alan Nunnelee Republican

In 2010 the 1st district includedHorn Lake,Olive Branch,Southaven andTupelo.^[10] The district's population was 69 percent white and 27 percent black (seeRace and ethnicity in the United States census); 77 percent were high school graduates and 17 percent had received a bachelor's degree or higher. Itsmedian income was $38,944.^[11] In the2008 presidential election the district gave 62 percent of its vote toRepublican nomineeJohn McCain and 37 percent toDemocratic nomineeBarack Obama.^[10]

DemocratTravis Childers, who was elected in a2008 special election, was theincumbent. Childers was re-elected in theregularly-scheduled 2008 election with 55 percent of the vote.^[10] In May 2009 Childers denied planning to switch parties and seek re-election as a Republican, describing himself as a "Southern Democrat".^[12] In 2010 the Republican nominee wasAlan Nunnelee, a member of theMississippi State Senate.^[13] A. G. Baddley, anelectrician;^[14] Les Green, a teacher;^[15] Rick "Rico" Hoskins; and Wally Pang, a retiredrestaurateur,^[16] ran asindependent candidates. Gail Giaramita, a nurse, ran as theConstitution Party nominee.^[17] Harold Taylor, a former chair of theLibertarian Party of Mississippi, ran as theLibertarian Party nominee.^[18] Barbara Dale Washer, a teacher, ran as theReform Party nominee.^[19]

Angela McGlowan, aFox Newspolitical analyst;^[20] and Henry Ross, a former mayor ofEupora,^[21] also ran for the Republican nomination.Greg Davis, the mayor of Southaven who ran unsuccessfully in both 2008 elections, said in March 2009 that he would not run again in 2010.^[22]Merle Flowers, a member of the Mississippi Senate, met with theNational Republican Congressional Committee in June 2009, but ultimately decided not to run.^[23]

Childers raised $1,817,037 and spent $1,796,376. Nunnelee raised $1,739,384 and spent $1,617,120. Green raised $40,296 and spent the same amount. Pang raised no money and spent $6,900. Giaramita raised $12,730 and spent $12,913.^[24]

In a poll of 303 likely voters, conducted in June 2010 by theTarrance Group for Nunnelee's campaign, 50 percent of respondents supported Nunnelee while 42 percent favored Childers and 8 percent were undecided.^[25] In an Anzalone-Liszt poll of 400 likely voters, conducted in August and September 2010, Childers led with 46 percent to Nunnelee's 41 percent.^[26] Republican internal polls of 300 likely voters by Tarrance, conducted in September and October 2010, found Nunnelee leading Childers by 48 percent to 41 percent and by 51 percent to 40 percent respectively.^[27] A poll of 603 likely voters, conducted by Penn Schoen Berland in October 2010, found Nunnelee leading Childers by 44 percent to 39 percent with 12 percent undecided.^[28]

FiveThirtyEight's forecast gave Nunnelee an 82 percent chance of winning, and projected that he would receive 52 percent of the vote to Childers's 45 percent.^[27] On election day Nunnelee was elected with 55 percent of the vote to Childers's 41 percent.^[29] Nunnelee was re-elected in2012^[30] and2014.^[31] Childers unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate in2014.^[32]

• "Travis Childers campaign website". Archived from the original on October 28, 2010. RetrievedJanuary 3, 2014.
• "Gail Giaramita campaign website". Archived from the original on September 3, 2010. RetrievedJanuary 3, 2014.
• "Les Green campaign website". Archived from the original on October 28, 2010. RetrievedJanuary 3, 2014.
• "Angela McGlowan campaign website". Archived from the original on February 9, 2010. RetrievedJanuary 3, 2014.
• "Alan Nunnelee campaign website". Archived from the original on October 29, 2010. RetrievedJanuary 3, 2014.
• "Henry Ross campaign website". Archived from the original on July 4, 2010. RetrievedJanuary 3, 2014.

In 2010 the 2nd district includedClinton,Greenville and parts ofJackson.^[40] The district's population was 66 percent black and 32 percent white (seeRace and ethnicity in the United States census); 75 percent were high school graduates and 18 percent had received a bachelor's degree or higher. Itsmedian income was $30,578.^[41] In the2008 presidential election the district gave 66 percent of its vote toDemocratic nomineeBarack Obama and 33 percent toRepublican nomineeJohn McCain.^[40]

DemocratBennie Thompson, who took office in 1993, was theincumbent. Thompson was re-elected in2008 with 69 percent of the vote.^[40] In 2010 the Republican nominee was Bill Marcy, a former police officer.^[42] George Bailey and Richard Cook, a teacher, also ran in the Republican primary.^[43] Ashley Norwood ran as theReform Party nominee.^[42]

Thompson raised $1,808,681 and spent $1,343,456. Marcy raised $47,933 and spent $40,847.^[44] In a poll of 442 registered voters and likely voters, conducted by JMC Enterprises in September 2010, 35 percent of respondents intended to vote for Thompson while 34 percent intended to vote for Marcy and 31 percent were undecided.^[45] A JMC poll of 441 registered voters and likely voters conducted in October 2010 found Thompson leading with 42 percent to Marcy's 41 percent, while 17 percent were undecided.^[46] Prior to the electionFiveThirtyEight's forecast gave Thompson a 99 percent chance of winning, and projected that he would receive 57 percent of the vote to Marcy's 40 percent.^[47]

On election day Thompson was re-elected with 61 percent of the vote to Marcy's 38 percent.^[48] Thompson was re-elected in2012^[49] and2014.^[31] Marcy ran again in the 2nd district in 2012 and sought the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in2014.^[50]

• "Richard Cook campaign website". Archived from the original on March 27, 2010. RetrievedJanuary 3, 2014.
• "Bill Marcy campaign website". Archived from the original on October 28, 2010. RetrievedJanuary 3, 2014.
• "Bennie Thompson campaign website". Archived from the original on October 28, 2010. RetrievedJanuary 3, 2014.

In 2010 the 3rd district includedMeridian,Pearl and parts ofJackson.^[52] The district's population was 62 percent white and 34 percent black (seeRace and ethnicity in the United States census); 81 percent were high school graduates and 23 percent had received a bachelor's degree or higher. Itsmedian income was $38,777.^[53] In the2008 presidential election the district gave 61 percent of its vote toRepublican nomineeJohn McCain and 39 percent toDemocratic nomineeBarack Obama.^[52]

RepublicanGregg Harper, who was first elected in2008, was theincumbent. In 2008 Harper received 63 percent of the vote.^[52] In 2010 the Democratic nominee was Joel Gill, the mayor ofPickens.^[54] James D. Jackson, asociology professor; and Shawn O'Hara, a frequent candidate for office, also sought the Democratic nomination.^[55] O'Hara's sister, Tracella Lou O'Hara Hill, also ran as theReform Party nominee.^[56]

Harper raised $715,014 and spent $688,959.^[57] Prior to the electionFiveThirtyEight's forecast gave Harper a 100 percent chance of winning, and projected that he would receive 70 percent of the vote to Gill's 28 percent.^[58] On election day Harper was re-elected with 68 percent of the vote to Gill's 31 percent.^[59] Gill unsuccessfully ran forMississippi Agriculture Commissioner in 2011, and died in a car accident in October 2012.^[60] Harper was again re-elected in2012^[61] and2014.^[31]

• "Joel Gill campaign website". Archived from the original on October 29, 2010. RetrievedJanuary 3, 2014.
• "Gregg Harper campaign website". Archived from the original on October 29, 2010. RetrievedJune 25, 2011.

2010 Mississippi's 4th congressional district election

← 2008 2012 →

Nominee Steven Palazzo Gene Taylor Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 105,613 95,243 Percentage 51.9% 46.8%

County results Palazzo:     50–60%     60–70% Taylor:     40–50%     50–60%

U.S. Representative before election Gene Taylor Democratic Elected U.S. Representative Steven Palazzo Republican

In 2010 the 4th district includedGulfport andHattiesburg.^[64] The district's population was 71 percent white and 23 percent black (seeRace and ethnicity in the United States census); 81 percent were high school graduates and 18 percent had received a bachelor's degree or higher. Itsmedian income was $41,245.^[65] In the2008 presidential election the district gave 67 percent of its vote toRepublican nomineeJohn McCain and 32 percent toDemocratic nomineeBarack Obama.^[64]

DemocratGene Taylor, who took office in 1989, was theincumbent. Taylor was re-elected in2008 with 75 percent of the vote.^[64] In 2010 Taylor's opponent in the general election wasSteven Palazzo, a member of theMississippi House of Representatives.^[66] Joe Tegerdine, a businessman, also sought the Republican nomination.^[67] Tim Hampton, theLibertarian Party nominee, and Anna Jewel Revies, the nominee of theReform Party, also ran.^[68]

Taylor raised $855,983 and spent $968,943. Palazzo raised $1,079,453 and spent $1,026,476.^[69] Tegerdine raised $74,586 and spent $74,500.^[70]

In a poll by theTarrance Group, conducted for Palazzo's campaign in September 2010, 45 percent of respondents supported Taylor while 41 percent favored Palazzo.^[71] In October 2010 Taylor said his own internal polling showed him leading Palazzo by eight percentage points.^[72] Another poll by Tarrance for Palazzo's campaign, conducted later in October 2010 with a sample size of 300 likely voters, Palazzo led with 43 percent to Taylor's 41 percent, while 3 percent supported other candidates and 12 percent were undecided.^[73]

On election day Palazzo was elected with 52 percent of the vote to Taylor's 47 percent.^[74] Palazzo was re-elected in2012^[75] and2014.^[31] In 2014 Taylor unsuccessfully challenged Palazzo in the Republican primary in the 4th district.^[76]

• Lansford, Tom (2011). "Mississippi District 4 Race (Palazzo v. Taylor): A Conservative Democrat Loses to a More Conservative Republican". In Foreman, Sean D.; Dewhirst, Robert (eds.).The Roads to Congress 2010. Lanham, Maryland:Lexington Books. pp. 55–66.

• "Tim Hampton campaign website". Archived from the original on October 29, 2010. RetrievedJanuary 3, 2014.
• "Steve Palazzo campaign website". Archived from the original on October 28, 2010. RetrievedJune 25, 2011.
• "Gene Taylor campaign website". Archived from the original on October 30, 2010. RetrievedJanuary 3, 2014.
• "Joe Tegerdine campaign website". Archived from the original on February 12, 2010. RetrievedJanuary 3, 2014.

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