JACKSON --Mississippi Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Alan Nunnelee, R-Tupelo, definitely sounds like a candidate against Democrat Travis Childers of Booneville for the District 1 U.S. House seat in 2010.

The loss of the seat to the Democrats in 2008 was a major blow for the Republican National Committee. The District 1 seat will, no doubt, will be among the Republican National Committee's top targeted seats in 2010.

Many believe Nunnelee will be an appealing candidate. Childers said recently he expects to have a opponent in 2010, and was humble when asked about the outcome. But he sounded self-assured when he said "nobody will work harder than me" to keep the seat.

As Appropriations Committee chair, Nunnelee would be one of the most powerful state legislators to run for another post during the middle of his or her term.

I documented Sunday the difficulty state legislators have running for other posts during the middle of a term. There is a litany of legislators who have run and lost. But I mistakenly said Senate President Pro Term Billy Hewes, R-Gulfport, was among those who ran for a congressional seat and lost. That was his father.

Still, after taking Hewes out of the equation, there is a long list of legislators who ran unsuccessfully for other seats

But it can be done. A few have been successful. That is what Nunnelee will build his hopes on if he does undertake the race.