After much campaigning and some contentious debate, U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson and his Republican challenger, Clinton LeSueur, say they are optimistic about their prospects in Tuesday's election.
Thompson, 56, a Democrat from Bolton, has represented the 2nd Congressional District since 1993. LeSueur, a 35-year-old resident of Greenville, is running for Congress for the second time. Shawn O'Hara of Hattiesburg also is campaigning as a Reform Party candidate.
Thompson served as a Hinds County supervisor for 13 years and Bolton's mayor for six. He said he has built a record of service and the people have acknowledged it.
"They appreciate the fact that I'm not a stranger to the district, that I come home every week to the district," he said.
He said it helps to have decentralized offices as well as a toll-free phone number. The office locations include Greenwood, Greenville, Bolton, Mound Bayou and Marks.
Also, he said, "I take particular pride in the fact that we have very qualified staff from Mississippi in all our offices who do a wonderful job on behalf of the citizens of the 2nd District."
LeSueur, a native of Holly Springs, is a former reporter and consultant to the Yazoo Community Action Agency. He defeated Stephanie Summers-O'Neal and James Broadwater in the Republican primary.
LeSueur said Thursday that he was excited by the response from voters of both parties but would continue delivering his message and shaking hands. "I'm very impressed with the groundswell in the Republican base as well as the crossover vote," he said.
Thompson said he is focused on ensuring that his constituents have the best educational opportunities, including the best offerings for preschoolers in Head Start. He also favors full funding of the No Child Left Behind programs.
He said he has worked hard with local leaders on economic development, including expansion at Viking Range Corp. and the recruiting of Nissan suppliers. He said he actively pursued reforms in catfish labeling and improvements at ports in Greenville, Rosedale and Vicksburg.
Thompson said he is excited about local officials' reports on job prospects. They say good jobs are coming and more employers are looking at the Delta as a place of opportunity, he said.
For example, Textron Fastening Systems chose to put a plant in Greenville rather than send the jobs to Mexico. "The company president bragged on the work ethic that he found among the employees," Thompson said.
Economic development must be a partnership involving federal and state governments and the private sector, because "no one person can wave a magic wand and make it happen," he said.
Thompson said he will continue to work with local officials in industrial recruiting, agriculture, tourism and other areas.
"We trust local people to know what they want to pursue in their areas, and once they identify, we join them in that effort," he said.
Thompson said he also would use his status on two key committees to help the state.
He is the ranking Democrat on the Select Homeland Security Committee, and depending on the House party balance, he could be its chairman if he is re-elected.
Homeland security occupies an increasingly large portion of the federal government now, and there should be some valuable opportunities in this field for the district's colleges, research facilities and airports, he said. The airports in Greenwood and Greenville can accommodate more air traffic than some other locations, he said.
Thompson also serves on the Agriculture Committee. He said said he would rank third or fourth among Democrats in that committee and would be one of few from the South. The region needs an advocate in a group dominated by representatives from the Midwest and West, he said. "I've been that advocate in the past and look forward to continuing to be that advocate," he said.
Asked during one debate what he would do for the poor, Thompson also mentioned a prescription-drug program and maintenance of the federal earned-income tax credit and Pell grants.
LeSueur has based his campaign on biblical principles and an emphasis on personal responsibility. He also strongly supports the No Child Left Behind Act, saying better education will bring the region better jobs and reduce dependence on the government.
He would like to add more trade schools in the district to accommodate dropouts who are too old to get a diploma but need skills.
Other goals he has listed include improving people's access to health care and housing and reforming Social Security to allow recipients to invest their money in retirement accounts.
LeSueur said he is concerned that the 2nd District receives more federal dollars than any other district yet is the second-poorest in the nation.
During debates, he said Thompson hasn't done enough to see that federal money is spent locally. Thompson responded that he doesn't tell local officials what to do and that requirements are in place to ensure that money is spent properly.
LeSueur also has repeatedly mentioned that Thompson has amassed great wealth while representing a poor district.
According to disclosure reports, in 2003, Thompson and his wife had between $598,000 and $1.5 million in assets. The income outside his congressional salary was between $20,400 and $64,900.
The assets include a number of real estate properties.
LeSueur said Thursday that he was commenting on Thompson's wealth merely as "a statement for people to use and process" and was not implying that the congressman had done anything improper to gain that wealth.
Thompson said this week that he has nothing to hide about his finances and that information about them is public record.
O'Hara has built his platform around a few select topics.
He would push to build alternative-fuel plants; remove nonviolent offenders from prisons so they can work in plants; and stop "racial and social profiling of "African-Americans, rednecks and college students."
He also would encourage providing free college Internet classes and wants the United States to "stop giving billions of dollars to foreign countries."
