In office, Nunnelee worked on legislation making it tougher to get an abortion in Mississippi, lowering taxes for married couples and requiring that Medicaid beneficiaries be recertified annually to cut costs. As he rose in seniority, he landed important positions. He first served as chairman of the Environment Committee; then, he became chairman of the Public Health and Welfare Committee, which gave him jurisdiction over the state's deteriorating health situation. Nunnelee's tenure as chairman was marked by well-publicized clashes with State Health Officer Brian Amy.

In 2008, Nunnelee became chairman of the powerful Appropriations Committee, which made him a crucial participant in any discussion of Mississippi's finances. With the state facing a tricky fiscal situation during the 2008-2009 economic crisis, Nunnelee has been an ally of Gov. Haley Barbour (R) in legislative disputes over how to shape the budget.

Specifically, Nunnelee opposed fully funding the Adequate Education Program, which is meant to help local school districts, despite supporting the program's creation in 1997 over the objections of fellow Republicans.

In parallel to his legislative activities, Nunnelee works as the vice-president of Allied Funeral Associates, a life-insurance company he founded in 1997.

2010 House Race

In 2010, Nunnelee announced he would challenge Rep. Travis Childers (D-Miss.) in Mississippi's 1st district, which is located in the state's northeast corner.

While this district is solidly Republican, Childers had scored an upset victory in a 2008 special election. But John McCain carried the district with 62 percent of the vote in the 2008 presidential race and Republicans quickly signaled Childers would be one of their top targets in the 2010 cycle.

Before taking on the incumbent, Nunnelee faced a primary against attorney Henry Ross and Angela McGlowan, a former Fox News analyst. While Nunnelee had acquired a staunchly conservative reputation, even within the GOP, his opponents attacked him as an insufficiently conservative "career politician." McGlowan, who landed a surprisingly late endorsement from Sarah Palin just a few hours before polls closed, even called Nunnelee a "RINO (Republican in name only). But Nunnelee didn't shy away from touting his experience in government and his legislative accomplishments. On Election Day, he avoided a runoff by 745 votes, clinching the Republican nomination with 52 percent of the vote compared to 33 percent for Ross and 15 percent for McGowan.

In the general election, Nunnelee sought to tap into the conservative electorate's anger towards Democrats' national agenda.

While Childers is a Blue Dog Democrat who voted against cap-and-trade and health-care reform, Nunnelee has attacked his support for the stimulus package and tied Childers to President Barack Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "I'm asking you to help rescue our country from the extreme liberal left wing by taking Mississippi values to Washington," he said.

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