Nunnelee For Congress
2010 - 2011
Mississippi Values | Proven Leader |True Conservative

I believe that if you allow individuals, families and small businesses to keep more of their hard earned money they will create the stimulus that our economy needs without placing a huge burden of debt on our children and grandchildren.

While I believe Government should be limited, it does have a role - it can create an environment (through regulatory and tax policy) where small businesses, which are the engine of American job growth, can thrive.

Fiscal Responsibility

In these difficult times Mississippi families are setting priorities and living within a budget, and government should be no different. We need to put an end to wasteful earmarks. We also need to do a top-to-bottom spending review of all federal agencies. We do not need to just cut spending, we need to change the way we operate government and that is what I have been doing as Chairman of Appropriations in the Mississippi State Senate.

Healthcare

While I agree we do need to adjust our healthcare system, Government-run healthcare is not the answer. We need to make reforms that will reduce costs and ensure personal healthcare decisions are made by patients, their families and their doctors. Here is how we can do it:

1. 1. Individuals and families should be able to keep the same insurance when they change jobs.
   2. Insurance should not be restricted by state lines.
   3. Self employed individuals and families should be able to join a group plan and enjoy the same tax advantages as corporations.
   4. Insurance companies should not be allowed to drop individuals or families because of illness.
   5. Small businesses should be able to purchase coverage at similar rates as large corporations and government agencies.
   6. Medical bills should be more transparent and easier to understand.
   7. We must pass comprehensive tort reform.
   8. Elected officials should not have special coverage.

National Security

Our nation faces serious security challenges in the changing global environment. We must ensure our military is the best equipped and the most prepared in the world.

I understand the sacrifices our military families make to protect our freedom and we must always protect their interests. We must also offer our returning veterans the support they deserve.

Energy Independence

We need an energy plan that reduces our dependence on foreign oil. We need a plan that includes conservation, clean coal, natural gas, nuclear, as well as incentives to increase solar, wind and other clean renewable energy sources. And we need a plan that boosts America's domestic production of oil by building more refineries and drilling here and now. Only a comprehensive, all-of-the-above approach can secure America's energy future.

Mississippi Values

Government should be open and transparent and elected officials should live by a higher standard. I want to see an end to business-as-usual in Washington.

I believe in the sanctity of life and the family and believe that every innocent life must be protected, and marriage is the union of one man and one woman.

Education

I am a father of three children who graduated from public school systems and went on to public universities, and my wife works as a school nurse. I understand the important role education plays in our children's futures and in our state's economic development.

Education should be a top priority for any elected official. I believe that the government should place an emphasis on education, but decisions should be left to parents, teachers and local officials.

Second Amendment

I support the Second Amendment right of people to keep and bear arms - that's why I have been endorsed by the National Rifle Association (NRA) each time I have run for office. The right to bear arms is an individual right guaranteed by our Constitution. 

Social Security

 First, we as a country have a moral obligation to honor our commitment to those who have worked their entire life and have contributed their hard earned dollars to the social security system. Second, Congress must quit raiding the system for pet projects. Third, while we have an obligation to these hard working Americans, we must also be honest with ourselves and accept the reality that we face a very serious problem and that this problem will only get worse if we do nothing. Fourth, we need to assess our options and make common sense decisions that are for the good of our country and its citizens.

Immigration

 We should first and foremost secure the borders and enforce existing laws. We also need to start dealing with the magnet that draws people here and that is the jobs. We need to deal with employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

 I fully support the Arizona law and believe that unless the federal government is willing to enforce existing laws, states must protect themselves as Arizona has.

Alan Nunnelee
Legislative Highlights

Tax Reform

Early in his career, Senator Nunnelee led efforts in the Senate to eliminate the marriage penalty in state income tax law.  A couple who was living together would see an increase of $150 per year in their state income tax if they got married.   Senator Nunnelee felt the state should support married families, not penalize them.

He also advocated a tax credit for adoption expenses.  In 2003, candidate Haley Barbour made this part of his campaign for Governor.  The Legislature adopted this in 2005.

Senator Nunnelee has voted over 150 times to lower taxes in Mississippi.

Business and Free Enterprise

Senator Nunnelee has been rated a Business Champion by the Business and Industry Political Education Committee (BIPEC) for his support of free enterprise every year that he has been in office.

Alan was an advocate for tort reform, and worked to see its passage in 2002 and 2004.  The result of tort reform has been a significant reduction in medical malpractice insurance rates and the state selling a high risk pool for medical malpractice.  The high risk pool was sold because it was no longer needed.

In addition, numerous businesses have located in the state that would not have done so without tort reform.

Medicaid

Providing healthcare to the uninsured is growing more costly each year.  As chairman of the Public Health committee, Senator Nunnelee led efforts to slow the growth of Medicaid by requiring each beneficiary to recertify once each year, and to complete this recertification face to face.  Under the Musgrove administration, they were only recertifying about 1/7 of the Medicaid population each year.  In addition, the administration used “Presumptive Eligibility” which means Mississippi presumed you to be eligible unless the state proved otherwise.  Under the law, Alan worked to get, Mississippi documents a person’s eligibility each year and that person must present financial information to prove that he or she is eligible.

In addition he worked to increase the use of generic drugs rather than more expensive name brand drugs.

Open Appropriations Process

As Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Nunnelee has made the budget process more open to the Senate membership, but more importantly to the people who are paying the bills.  The Senator believes that when Legislators expect to be inspected by the taxpayers, elected officials will do a better job.  

He has led the efforts to shine the light on the revolving door of state and local agencies who have a long time employee retire and draw state retirement and then contract with that same employee. 

GED Program

Alan also led efforts to pass an innovative program where community colleges recruit students who have dropped out of school and help them to obtain their GED.  This program had accountability benchmarks for each community college.  It has been very successful.

Wellspring / Toyota

Senator Nunnelee was a leading advocate in the Senate of the Wellspring project.  This project was the first in the state that involved multiple counties partnering to enhance their economic development efforts.  Ultimately this led to the location of Toyota in Blue Springs.

Environment

Senator Nunnelee chaired the Committee on Environment from 2000 – 2004.  During that time, he resisted efforts to eliminate the Department of Environmental Quality and have manufactures report to the Federal Environmental Protection Agency.

In addition, he came up with creative legislation to deal with the emerging problem of manufacturing of crystal meth.  The legislation was the first to create a crime of possessing two or more precursors necessary to manufacture this drug.  A serious problem resulting from the manufacture of crystal meth is the theft of anhydrous ammonia from farms and farm supply stores.  This legislation gained national attention, and Senator Nunnelee was named the Friend of Agriculture by the Mississippi Farm Bureau.  The only time a legislator who was not a member of the Agriculture committee has received this award.

Pro Life

Senator Nunnelee was reelected, and in 1996 he quickly became a pro-life leader in the Mississippi legislature.  In his second year of office, he pushed through major legislation to regulate the growing abortion industry in the state.  The difficult part of this legislation was to find ways to restrict the abortion clinics that would stand up to certain challenges in federal court.  Senator Nunnelee did so, and the ultimate challenges were thrown out.

The result of Alan Nunnelee’s work in this area is that the year before he was elected, there were approximately 4,000 abortions performed in Mississippi.  Currently, there are about 2,000.  In addition, the PBS Documentary Frontline featured Mississippi and the Senator’s efforts to close abortion clinics, and the title of the program was, “The Last Abortion Clinic”.  There is currently only one abortion clinic operating in Mississippi.    
    
In addition, the Senator led the efforts to gain approval of the Choose Life car tag.  This is one of the best selling specialty car tags, and raises significant funds to go to the crisis pregnancy centers throughout the state. 

The Senator’s efforts led Mississippi as one of the first states to ban the horrible practice of partial birth abortion.  Many other states now ban this procedure because of Mississippi’s example. 

Same Sex Marriage

Senator Nunnelee led the efforts to ban recognition of marriage between two people of the same gender.  After the statute was adopted, he led the efforts to put this in our state’s constitution.  This was approved by the people of Mississippi in 2003.

In God We Trust

Senator Nunnelee led the efforts to place our national motto, In God we Trust, on the classroom wall of every school classroom in the state.  Later, he partnered with Lt. Governor Amy Tuck to raise private funds for this project so that no taxpayer dollars were needed to implement it.

Protecting Children from Sexual Predators

Senator Nunnelee led efforts to protect children from Sexual predators.  In Mississippi, as in many states of the South, the age of consent was 13.  An adult 30 or 40 years old could seduce a 13 year old child and not incur any punishment.  Senator Nunnelee worked to increase this age of consent, and there are sexual predators in jail today for statutory rape who would be free had Senator Nunnelee not led the efforts to change this law.   

Health Department

Alan led the efforts to reform the Health Department.  The state’s public health efforts were being led by a state health officer who was more concerned with appearance than substance.  As a result, West Nile Deaths and TB were increasing at very rapid rates and filthy restaurants were not being held accountable.  Senator Nunnelee led the effort to fire the board of health and the state health officer.  The department is well managed today.  In addition, today all restaurants now display a letter grade of their most recent inspection so that the public can be aware of the health conditions of that restaurant.

Citizens with Disabilities

Because of his vision problems, Alan has always felt a responsibility to help those people who had physical limitations.  His work here has been through governmental agencies as well as groups outside of government.  Senator Nunnelee was named Outstanding Legislator of the year by the Mississippi Chapter of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

He was also named the Legislator of the Year by the Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities.

National Guard

When Governor Ronnie Musgrove attempted to politicize the National Guard by inserting an Adjutant General who would fire all high ranking officers who were Republican, Senator Nunnelee led the efforts to deny Senate confirmation of the Adjutant General.

Sportsman's Caucus

Alan is a charter member of the Mississippi Sportsman’s Caucus, a legislative caucus supporting the right of all Mississippians to hunt and fish and enjoy the outdoors.

More Background On NunneleeForCongress.com

During the 2010 congressional election cycle, political campaign websites became increasingly important tools for fundraising, voter outreach, volunteer coordination, and ideological branding. NunneleeForCongress.com served as the official campaign website for Alan Nunnelee, the Republican politician who represented Mississippi’s 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2011 until his death in 2015.

The website functioned as both a campaign headquarters and a carefully crafted political identity platform. It reflected the tone, priorities, and conservative philosophy that defined many Republican campaigns during the rise of the Tea Party movement and the broader conservative reaction to the Obama administration. Though the original website is no longer active, archived versions preserve a revealing snapshot of Mississippi politics, grassroots conservatism, and digital campaigning during a transformative era in American political communication.

NunneleeForCongress.com was much more than a basic campaign page. It presented Alan Nunnelee as a traditional Mississippi conservative rooted in faith, family, fiscal restraint, pro-life beliefs, and support for limited government. The site emphasized his legislative accomplishments in the Mississippi State Senate while criticizing Democratic policies tied to President Barack Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Alan Nunnelee: The Man Behind the Campaign

Alan Nunnelee was born and raised in Mississippi and built his political career through state government before entering national politics. He served in the Mississippi State Senate beginning in 1995 after replacing Roger Wicker, who had moved on to Congress.

His years in the state legislature gave him extensive experience in budgeting, healthcare policy, taxation, and conservative social legislation. The campaign website portrayed him as deeply connected to Mississippi culture and civic life. It highlighted his church involvement, family values, and professional background in the funeral insurance industry.

Visitors to the site encountered a politician presented as approachable, religious, conservative, and closely tied to local communities rather than Washington politics. The campaign heavily emphasized Nunnelee’s role as Chairman of the Mississippi Senate Appropriations Committee. Fiscal discipline became one of the defining themes of his political identity.

The website also highlighted his involvement in Tupelo community life. References to his work as a deacon and Sunday School teacher at Calvary Baptist Church reinforced the campaign’s religious credentials. His role as a youth baseball coach and family man further strengthened the image of a traditional Southern conservative candidate.

Mississippi Politics and the 2010 Midterms

To fully understand NunneleeForCongress.com, it is necessary to understand the political climate in which it operated.

The 2010 midterm elections occurred during a period of intense political polarization. Opposition to the Affordable Care Act, federal stimulus spending, and the broader expansion of federal government under the Obama administration energized conservative voters across the country.

Republicans nationwide sought to capitalize on growing frustration over unemployment, government debt, and concerns about federal overreach. Mississippi’s 1st congressional district was already strongly conservative, making it fertile territory for Republican messaging focused on fiscal restraint, traditional values, and opposition to Washington Democrats.

The district included northeastern Mississippi communities such as Tupelo, Columbus, Oxford, and surrounding rural counties. Nunnelee positioned himself as a defender of Mississippi values against what the campaign framed as liberal overreach from Washington.

The language used throughout the website reflected this environment. Terms such as “true conservative,” “fiscal responsibility,” and “Mississippi values” appeared repeatedly. The campaign’s messaging was designed to connect emotionally with voters who felt disconnected from national Democratic leadership.

Design and Structure of the Website

By current standards, NunneleeForCongress.com had a relatively straightforward design, but it reflected common campaign website practices of the late 2000s and early 2010s.

The homepage prominently featured patriotic imagery, conservative slogans, and family-oriented photographs. Red, white, and blue color schemes dominated the site, emphasizing themes of patriotism and stability.

Navigation menus guided visitors toward:

• Issue statements
• Legislative accomplishments
• Volunteer opportunities
• Campaign blog posts
• Donation pages
• Contact forms

The layout focused on readability and clarity rather than flashy graphics or multimedia features. Campaign websites during this era were still largely designed for desktop browsing, and archived versions reveal layouts optimized for wider screens and traditional navigation systems.

The site also encouraged grassroots participation. Visitors were invited to sign up for campaign emails, volunteer, and donate financially. This reflected the growing importance of internet-based campaign outreach during the early social media era.

Core Political Themes

One of the primary functions of NunneleeForCongress.com was explaining Alan Nunnelee’s positions on major political issues.

Fiscal Conservatism

Fiscal responsibility was central to the campaign. Nunnelee repeatedly argued that government spending had become excessive and unsustainable. The site emphasized concerns about national debt, deficits, and wasteful federal spending.

The campaign advocated:

• Ending earmarks
• Conducting spending reviews of federal agencies
• Lowering taxes
• Reducing regulations
• Cutting discretionary spending

This message aligned closely with national Republican priorities during the 2010 elections.

The website consistently portrayed small businesses as the primary engine of economic growth. Campaign materials argued that lower taxes and reduced regulation would stimulate hiring and economic recovery.

Healthcare Reform Opposition

The campaign strongly opposed the Affordable Care Act, often referred to by critics as “ObamaCare.”

Nunnelee argued that government-run healthcare would reduce personal freedom, increase costs, and burden businesses with excessive regulations. The website promoted market-oriented reforms such as:

• Interstate insurance competition
• Portable insurance coverage
• Expanded group purchasing options
• Tort reform
• Greater healthcare price transparency

Opposition to healthcare reform became one of the defining themes of Republican campaigns nationwide during the 2010 midterms.

Pro-Life Advocacy

Social conservatism played a major role throughout the website. Nunnelee strongly identified as pro-life, and the campaign highlighted his legislative efforts to restrict abortion access in Mississippi.

The site emphasized his support for:

• Abortion clinic regulations
• “Choose Life” license plates
• Restrictions on partial-birth abortion
• Conservative judicial approaches to abortion law

The campaign framed these policies as moral responsibilities rooted in religious and family values.

Second Amendment Rights

The website also strongly supported gun rights and highlighted endorsements from the National Rifle Association.

The campaign argued that the right to bear arms was a constitutional guarantee tied directly to personal freedom and Mississippi culture.

Immigration Policy

Immigration was another major issue highlighted on the site. Nunnelee supported stronger border enforcement and backed Arizona’s controversial immigration law, which had become a major national political debate at the time.

The campaign argued that employers hiring undocumented immigrants contributed to illegal immigration and called for stricter enforcement of existing immigration laws.

Legislative Accomplishments

A substantial section of NunneleeForCongress.com focused on his legislative record in the Mississippi State Senate.

The campaign presented him as an experienced policymaker who had already delivered conservative reforms at the state level.

Tort Reform

One of the campaign’s most heavily emphasized accomplishments involved tort reform.

The website argued that Mississippi’s previous legal climate discouraged business investment and raised malpractice insurance costs. Nunnelee’s support for tort reform was presented as essential for economic development and healthcare stability.

This issue resonated strongly with business groups and conservative voters concerned about excessive litigation.

Economic Development and Toyota

The campaign also highlighted Nunnelee’s role in supporting the Wellspring economic development initiative, which helped attract Toyota manufacturing operations to Blue Springs, Mississippi.

Toyota’s investment represented one of Mississippi’s largest economic development victories, and association with the project reinforced Nunnelee’s pro-business image.

Education and GED Programs

The website discussed Nunnelee’s support for innovative GED programs through Mississippi community colleges. These initiatives were presented as practical solutions designed to help school dropouts gain workforce skills and educational credentials.

Medicaid Reform

The campaign highlighted his efforts to reform Medicaid eligibility verification and encourage the use of generic prescription drugs.

Supporters viewed these measures as examples of fiscal responsibility and government efficiency, while critics sometimes argued that stricter eligibility rules could reduce healthcare access for vulnerable populations.

Religion and Cultural Conservatism

Religion played a central role throughout NunneleeForCongress.com.

The campaign consistently integrated Christian values into political messaging. References to morality, faith, and traditional family structures appeared repeatedly across issue pages and biographical sections.

One of Nunnelee’s highly publicized legislative accomplishments involved efforts to place the phrase “In God We Trust” in Mississippi classrooms without using taxpayer funding.

The campaign also discussed his support for constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage in Mississippi.

These positions reflected the broader political culture of Mississippi during the early 2000s and 2010s, when social conservatism remained highly influential among Republican voters.

Campaign Blogging and Political Messaging

The blog section of NunneleeForCongress.com provides one of the clearest examples of the campaign’s political rhetoric.

Posts focused heavily on:

• Opposition to Democratic spending policies
• Criticism of healthcare reform
• Taxation concerns
• Support for conservative congressional initiatives
• Attacks on Democratic opponent Travis Childers

The writing style was direct, partisan, and strongly ideological. Blog posts often framed political debates as struggles between conservative values and liberal overreach.

The campaign also adopted messaging themes that were circulating nationally among Republicans during the Tea Party era, including concerns about debt, taxation, and federal expansion.

Digital Campaigning During the Early Social Media Era

NunneleeForCongress.com also serves as a historical example of how political campaigns used the internet during the early social media era.

Campaign websites at the time functioned as:

• Information centers
• Donation platforms
• Volunteer recruitment tools
• Media archives
• Message control systems

Unlike today’s highly video-driven and algorithm-focused political communication environment, early 2010s campaign sites relied heavily on long-form issue statements and text-based communication.

Facebook and Twitter were growing in importance, but official campaign websites still acted as the central hub for policy positions and campaign messaging.

Alan Nunnelee’s Congressional Career

Alan Nunnelee won the 2010 election and entered Congress in January 2011 as the representative for Mississippi’s 1st congressional district.

In Congress, he maintained a strongly conservative voting record and aligned closely with Republican leadership on many fiscal and social issues. He served on committees connected to appropriations and healthcare policy.

In 2014, Nunnelee announced that he had undergone surgery for a brain tumor. Despite treatment, his health declined, and he died on February 6, 2015, at the age of 56.

Following his death, politicians from both parties offered tributes praising his dedication to Mississippi and his reputation for public service.

Historical and Cultural Significance of the Website

Today, NunneleeForCongress.com survives mainly through internet archives, but it remains historically valuable for several reasons.

First, it captures the rhetoric and priorities of conservative Southern Republican politics during the Obama era.

Second, it demonstrates how congressional campaigns communicated with voters during an important transitional period in digital political strategy.

Third, the website illustrates the strong connection between religion, regional identity, and conservative politics in Mississippi.

Finally, the archived site provides insight into early digital political branding. Every slogan, issue statement, and design choice contributed to a carefully managed image aimed at energizing conservative voters and presenting Alan Nunnelee as a principled Mississippi conservative.

Legacy of Alan Nunnelee

Alan Nunnelee remains an important figure in modern Mississippi Republican politics.

Supporters remember him as:

• A fiscal conservative
• A defender of pro-life policies
• A supporter of economic development
• A committed church member
• A pragmatic legislator

Critics strongly opposed some of his positions on healthcare, abortion, same-sex marriage, and federal regulation, but even many political opponents acknowledged his strong work ethic and close connection to his constituents.

NunneleeForCongress.com ultimately reflects more than a congressional campaign. It captures a specific political moment in American history when conservative grassroots activism, anti-Obama sentiment, and digital campaigning converged to reshape congressional politics nationwide.