Dems hopeful to pick up Wicker’s House seat

The race for former Rep. Richard Baker’s (R-La.) seat might not be the only competitive special election in the coming weeks, according to a poll released by the Democrat running for Sen. Roger Wicker’s (R-Miss.) former House seat.

Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Travis Childers’s (D) campaign released an internal poll Wednesday showing the Democrat in a virtual tie with the GOP nominee, Southaven Mayor Greg Davis.

{mosads}Childers took 41 percent of the vote to Davis’s 40 percent in the poll, which was performed in recent days by Anzalone Liszt Research. It surveyed 500 likely special-election voters, weighted according to expected geographical turnout.

The race still has many variables, but the poll indicates the April 22 contest could be competitive.

Chief among those variables are the ballot lines of two candidates who lost runoffs to Davis and Childers. They agreed to exit the open special election following last week’s general election primary runoffs, but their names remain on the ballot.

State Rep. Steve Holland (D), who fell to Childers, told the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal on Wednesday that he might sue to get his name off the ballot, which would likely benefit Childers.

Former Tupelo Mayor Glenn McCullough (R) told the same paper that he would like his name off the ballot too, but that he is not “quite as adamant” as Holland.

McCullough and Davis had a more heated primary, and some voters might be more hesitant to switch to Davis if McCullough remains on the ballot. The special election follows just three weeks after the runoffs.

When all six candidates, including McCullough and Holland, are tested in the Childers poll, McCullough takes 14 percent and Holland takes 7 percent. But Childers actually loses his slight lead when all six candidates are included, as Davis takes a 29-27 edge.

Davis’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Democrats are already excited about their prospects for taking Baker’s seat on May 3 and see Wicker’s seat as a tougher battle.

In the Louisiana district, polling has shown state Rep. Don Cazayoux (D) with a slight lead over former Senate candidate Woody Jenkins (R).

Both districts voted about 60 percent for President Bush in 2004.