Travis Childers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Travis Childers
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi's 1st district |
|
| In office May 13, 2008 – January 3, 2011 |
|
| Preceded by | Roger Wicker |
| Succeeded by | Alan Nunnelee |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Travis Wayne Childers
March 29, 1958 Booneville, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Tami Childers |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Northeast Mississippi Community College University of Mississippi, Oxford (BA) |
Travis Wayne Childers (born March 29, 1958) is an American politician. He served as a U.S. Representative for Mississippi from 2008 to 2011. This district covered much of northern Mississippi. Cities like New Albany, Columbus, Oxford, Southaven, and Tupelo were included. Childers is a member of the Democratic Party. Before joining Congress, he was the Chancery Clerk of Prentiss County from 1992. In 2014, Childers ran for the United States Senate. He won his party's nomination but lost the main election to Republican Thad Cochran.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Travis Childers was born in Booneville, Mississippi, on March 29, 1958. His parents were John Wayne and Betty Childers. When Travis was 16, his father passed away. To help his mother and sister, Travis worked at a convenience store. He worked there at night and on weekends while in high school.
Childers attended Northeast Mississippi Junior College. He then went to the University of Mississippi. In 1980, he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration.
Career Before Politics
While still a student, Childers became a licensed real estate salesperson. After college, he joined a real estate business in Booneville. He worked there through the 1980s. Later, he became a licensed real estate broker. He then owned his own real estate company.
Childers also owns a personal care home called Landmark Community. He also owns the Landmark Nursing Center. This center has 80 beds and a special unit for Alzheimer's patients.
In 1991, Childers was elected as the Chancery Clerk for Prentiss County. He was elected to this role five times. He even served as President of the Mississippi Chancery Clerks Association from 2001 to 2002.
In 2016, Childers received the "Doug Mansell Award." This award is given to people who help Prentiss County grow and improve. Also in 2016, he was added to the Northeast Mississippi Community College Hall of Fame.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Travis Childers served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2008 to 2011. During his time, he was part of important committees.
Committee Roles
- 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
Important Votes
In the 111th Congress, Childers voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This act aimed to boost the economy. He also supported reauthorizing SCHIP, a health program for children. Childers voted against the 2009 American Clean Energy and Security Act. He also voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. However, he later said he supported the law. He believed it needed some changes.
Political Campaigns
Travis Childers ran in several important elections.
2008 Special Election
A special election happened in Mississippi's 1st congressional district. This was because the Republican representative, Roger Wicker, became a U.S. Senator. Childers was supported by many local newspapers.
In the first election on April 22, Childers won almost 50% of the votes. He was just short of the majority needed. So, he went into a second election, called a runoff. On May 13, Childers faced Republican Greg Davis. Childers won the runoff election.
This victory was a big surprise. The district had been held by a Republican for a long time. It usually voted for Republican candidates. Childers' win brought the seat back to the Democrats.
2008 General Election
Childers ran against Greg Davis again in the general election on November 4, 2008. Childers won this election too. He defeated Davis with 54% of the votes.
2010 Election
Childers ran for re-election on November 2, 2010. He was challenged by Republican State Senator Alan Nunnelee. Nunnelee won the election. Childers received 41% of the votes. This showed how much the district still leaned Republican.
2014 Senate Election
In 2014, Childers ran for the United States Senate. His opponent was the Republican Senator Thad Cochran. Childers was supported by groups like the Alliance for Retired Americans. However, Childers lost the election to Cochran on November 4, 2014.
Views on Issues
Childers sees himself as a moderate Democrat. This means his views are often in the middle. He supports giving more money to public education. He also wanted American troops to leave Iraq quickly. He is against making Social Security a private system. He also opposes raising the retirement age.
Childers supports creating more jobs. He wants to increase the minimum wage. He also strongly supports public education. He believes in tax breaks for small businesses that hire people. He wants to end tax breaks for companies that send jobs overseas. Childers also supports equal pay for women. He wants to raise the minimum wage to a fair amount. He also supports a Balanced Budget Amendment. This would help control the national debt. Childers is known as a Blue Dog Democrat. This term describes Democrats who are more conservative.
Personal Life
Travis Childers is married to Tami Childers. They have two children. Their son, Dustin, is a lawyer in their hometown. Their daughter, Lauren, works at the University of Mississippi. Lauren was named Miss Ole Miss in 2010. Tami Childers manages the family's healthcare businesses. Travis Childers is a member of Booneville First United Methodist Church.
Images for kids
-
Travis Childers
