Nunnelee wins GOP nod in Mississippi

JACKSON, Miss., June 2 (UPI) — State Sen. Alan Nunnelee, a favorite among the Republican establishment, won Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District Republican primary Tuesday, results show.

With 95 percent of precincts counted, Nunnelee had 51 percent of the vote to 33 percent for former Eupora mayor Henry Ross and 16 percent for Fox News commentator Angela McGlowan, WLBT-TV, Jackson, reported.

Nunnelee is to face Rep. Travis Childers, who won the seat two years ago in the heavily Republican district because of a rift among Republicans over two party challengers.

In a memo Tuesday night, the National Republican Congressional Committee offered a glimpse of its campaign strategy, The Hill reported.

“Unlike Childers, who opposes repeal of a healthcare bill that mandated taxpayer-funded abortions, Nunnelee is a pro-life Republican with the record to back it up,” the NRCC memo said.

Democrats chided Nunnelee for cuts in the state budget.

“Alan Nunnelee’s a career politician whose legacy puts him out of touch with middle-class families here in North Mississippi,” Sam Hall, executive director of the Mississippi Democratic Party, said in a statement.

Also in Mississippi, state Rep. Steven Palazzo won the 4th Congressional District GOP nomination and is to face state Rep. Gene Taylor, a conservative Democrat who the NRCC said will give the 10-term Palazzo the “most credible challenge of his congressional career.”

In the 3rd Congressional District Democratic primary, Pickens Alderman Joel Gill won the nomination and will face Republican incumbent Gregg Harper, who ran unopposed.

The 2nd district Republican primary election was too close to call. The winner will face Democrat and incumbent Rep. Bennie Thompson.