With midterm elections set for Tuesday, both Republicans and Democrats within the state and around the nation expect a close race for majority control in Congress.
Within the state of Mississippi, Republicans are expecting no change while Democrats are hoping to emerge stronger.
“We will not lose any seats with our incumbents,” Mississippi Republican Party Chairman Jim Herring said.
The Republican incumbents include 1st Congressional District Rep. Roger Wicker, 3rd Congressional District Rep. Chip Pickering and Sen. Trent Lott.
However, some feel that the Republican leadership has disappointed people and voters may look to the Democratic Party at the polls this year to rectify the situation, executive director for the Mississippi Democratic Party Keeland Sanders said.
“The state party has been in a rebuilding process,” Sanders said. “People are fed up by the way the country is being led.”
The current Democrat incumbents include 2nd Congressional District Rep. Bennie Thompson and 4th Congressional District Rep. Gene Taylor.
Herring said the main issues surrounding the election in the state concern Homeland Security and Hurricane Katrina recovery.
“The people of our state are very satisfied,” Herring said. “Those issues are more problematic for the party nationally.”
History shows from past elections that after six years, the current presidential party always loses votes, Herring said.
“I think we will lose some seats in the House and some seats in the Senate,” he added. “We’re not taking anything for granted and we’re working hard to get the vote.”
The main concern for the national party is to make sure the public realizes the country must win the war in Iraq in order to win the war on terrorism, he said.
The state Democratic party is refocusing their voting campaign in different way than the party has done in the past, Sanders said.
“We realize the importance of having precinct chapters,” he said.
The party will identify people in their local precincts and encourage local officials to campaign for voting, Sanders said.
“We’re empowering our democratic county parties to encourage [voting],” he said.
On a national scale, the Republican party has not been accountable to the people and the Democratic party wants to provide accountable government to the people, Sanders said.
One major issue surrounding this year’s election nationally is the fact that neither party has a top candidate for the 2008 presidential election. Historically, the parties have always had some idea of who they want to run, especially in the cases of vice presidents such as Al Gore and George Bush. However, that is not the case this year, Stennis Institute for Government director Marty Wiseman said.
“Cheney has said he will not run,” Wiseman said.
There is turmoil within each party due to this while they are also looking for ways to plot against each other, he said.
“Every move will be examined under a magnifying glass as a party looks for an advantage,” he added.
For more information on state party elected officials for the Mississippi Republican Party visit www.msgop.org. For more information on state party elected officials and candidates for the Mississippi Democratic Party visit www.msdemocrats.net.
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