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Scroll down for updates…10:04pm Eastern: Results coming in…it’s neck and neck with Democrat Childers maintaining a slim lead…Update 10:25pm Eastern…The Democrat wins dirty…11:28pm Eastern…see my reaction to Boehner’s statement on the special election loss here…

The special congressional election in Mississippi today is an important one. The GOP can’t afford another defeat and morale-deflator. Republicans have poured on the money to retain the longtime, reliably conservative district.

So, what are Dems up to? You won’t be surprised. Several Mississippi readers and bloggers e-mail that the Dems have pulled out the race card to smear GOP candidate Greg Davis as a KKK supporter. This is how it’s going to be.

Alan Lange at Y’all Politics reports:

On Monday afternoon (5/12), the DCCC was pushing the following ad on the streets of the district.

(Image via Right of Mississippi)

…This ad certainly begs some questions. First, if the DCCC was so proud of the message, why not put it on TV with the $1,000,000 they dropped in the campaign? Second, why only drop this on the street one day before the election? Would it be so that no press would pick up on it?

Candidly, I don’t know how this election shakes out. It’s a 3 point race that could go either way. However, this is why we do this site . . . to uncover this kind of naked racial bigotry that was unfortunately done, in this case, on Travis Childers’ behalf. So far, we have not received any press releases from Childers’ campaign, the DCCC or the Mississippi Democratic Party disavowing the message. For someone who has been as closely linked to the now disgraced trial lawyer and admitted felon, Joey Langston, as Childers has been, maybe it can be assumed that the “ends justifies the means” mindset runs through their circle of acquaintances.

Turns out the last-minute attack by the Dems was on the wrong mayor for the wrong statue.

Slimeballs.

Conservative Belle and Liberal Smash weigh in.

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Update: The DCCC, naturally, stands by its slime.

Update 10:04pm Eastern: Y’all Politics is liveblogging the returns. Results here. It’s currently 51/49 Childers, with 366 of 462 precincts reporting.

Update 10:25pm Eastern: The Democrat wins in a race card-tainted race…

Democrats appeared to regain control of north Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District — for now.

Shortly after 9 p.m., with 80 percent of the precincts reporting, The Associated Press declared Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Travis Childers the winner over Southaven Mayor Greg Davis, a Republican, in a runoff.

The runoff was necessary after a special election last month produced no outright winner.

Childers’ apparent victory means he will serve the final months of a term vacated by Roger Wicker. Wicker, a Republican, was appointed to the U.S. Senate after former Sen. Trent Lott resigned in December.

But Childers, 50, will face Davis, 42, again in the November general election. That race will determine who replaces Wicker in January for a full two-year term.

This fight ain’t over.

But ultimately, you know, voters will get “The Change They Deserve.”

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Update 11:00pm Eastern. The NRCC issues a statement on yet another humiliating defeat. Dirty or not, it’s another sign of GOP disarray:

NRCC Chairman Tom Cole’s Statement on Special Election Results in Mississippi

Washington- NRCC Chairman Tom Cole released the following statement following the results of the special election runoff in Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District:

“We are disappointed in tonight’s election results. Though the NRCC, RNC and Mississippi Republicans made a major effort to retain this seat, we came up short.

“Tonight’s election highlights two significant challenges Republicans must overcome this November. First, Republicans must be prepared to campaign against Democrat challengers who are running as conservatives, even as they try to join a liberal Democrat majority. Though the Democrats’ task will be more difficult in a November election, the fact is they have pulled off two special election victories with this strategy, and it should be a concern to all Republicans.

“Second, the political environment is such that voters remain pessimistic about the direction of the country and the Republican Party in general. Therefore, Republicans must undertake bold efforts to define a forward looking agenda that offers the kind of positive change voters are looking for. This is something we can do in cooperation with our Presidential nominee, but time is short.

“I encourage all Republican candidates, whether incumbents or challengers, to take stock of their campaigns and position themselves for challenging campaigns this fall by building the financial resources and grassroots networks that offer them the opportunity and ability to communicate, energize and turn out voters this election.”