Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
2:22 pm Thursday, August 1, 2002

A lot riding' on Pickering, Shows debate at fair

By By William F. West / community editor
Aug. 1, 2002
The winner of a debate today at the Neshoba County Fair between Chip Pickering and Ronnie Shows could boil down to who can pull the most people into Founders Square Pavilion.
The two incumbents are fighting for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in Mississippi's newly created 3rd District.
They are scheduled to debate today at 2:10 p.m.
Pickering is a Republican, Shows a Democrat. The two men find themselves in a face-off for the $150,000-a-year position because Mississippi lost a congressional seat after the last census.
Pickering, 38, is from Laurel. He was a legislative aide to U.S. Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., before being elected to Congress in 1996. He replaced Democrat G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery of Meridian, who retired after 30 years on Capitol Hill.
Pickering represented the old 3rd District, which stretched from Clay County and Lowndes County into parts of Madison and Wayne counties.
Shows, 55, is from Bassfield. He was circuit clerk in Jefferson Davis County, a state senator and state Southern District transportation commissioner before being elected to Congress in 1998.
Shows represented the old 4th District, which included Jackson, much of southeastern Hinds County and all of Copiah County.
Pickering and Shows are presently campaigning for the right to represent a new third district.
The district stretches from a small slice of Webster County and all of Oktibbeha County through the eastern Mississippi counties but still includes Meridian and Lauderdale County, suburban Rankin County and most of the southwestern part of the state.
Finding the weaknesses
It almost goes without saying that, on the campaign trail, a political candidate is going to try to find the other candidate's weaknesses and point them out.
Shows and some commentators in the Mississippi press argue that Pickering can be readily linked to the troubled Mississippi-based telecommunications giant WorldCom.
Each candidate has his strengths.
3rd CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
The candidates: Current 3rd District U.S. Rep. Chip Pickering, a Republican from Laurel; 4th District U.S. Rep. Ronnie Shows, a Democrat from Bassfield; Jim Giles, an independent from Pearl; Carroll Grantham, a Reform Party candidate from Hattiesburg; and Brad McDonald, a Libertarian Party candidate also from Hattiesburg, are running in the newly redrawn 3rd District.
The election: Voters will choose one of the candidates in a Nov. 5 special election. Members of Congress are paid $150,000 a year.
The district: Extends from part of Webster County and all of Oktibbeha County through the eastern Mississippi counties but still includes Meridian and Lauderdale County and much of southwestern Mississippi.

Also on Franklin County Times
Thorpe to play at Blue Mountain Christian
High School Sports, News, Russellville, ...
Brannon King For the FCT 
July 16, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE – Brennon Thorpe made his plans official to attend Blue Mountain Christian University and play baseball for the Toppers during a recent s...
Former Cypress Lakes official to lead Guntersville State Park
Lifestyles, News
Bernie Delinski For the FCT 
July 16, 2025
GUNTERSVILLE — Heath Puckett had an Auburn University degree and golf course superintendent certification in his pocket when he arrived at Cypress Lak...
Russellville High Class of 1967 gathers, reminisces
Columnists, News, Opinion, ...
HERE AND NOW
July 16, 2025
You can’t really go back to the good old days of high school, but you can pay them a visit now and then. That’s exactly what the RHS Class of 1967 has...
European travel builds bonds across cultures
Lifestyles, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 16, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE -- A group of Franklin County travelers spent nine days this summer walking through catacombs, exploring castles and standing in places w...
Little Free Library welcomes readers in East Franklin
Lifestyles, News, Phil Campbell
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 16, 2025
PHIL CAMPBELL — Eleven-year-old Aiden Hall is an avid reader, but he doesn’t just want to read books. He also wants to share them, and the way he deci...
King becomes elementary curriculum director
Lifestyles, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 16, 2025
RUSSELVILLE — Molly King says every child can learn, though not necessarily in the same way or on the same day — a belief she plans to carry into her ...
New Junior Leaders begin their training
Franklin County, News
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 16, 2025
FRANKLIN COUNTY — Forty-two high school students from across Franklin County are beginning 10 months of hands-on leadership training and community ser...
Fire destroys 2-story garage, guest suite
Main, News, Russellville, ...
Kevin Taylor For the FCT 
July 16, 2025
R U S S E L LV I L L E – Jason Gist leaned against the wall of his home with a look of disgust while dozens of firefighters worked to extinguish a fir...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Stories
July 4, 2025Augusto Simon Diaz, 42, of Russellville, passed away July 4. Visitation and funeral were held at Spry Memorial Chapel on July 12 from 2pm ...
July 16, 2025
July 8, 2025Jamie Kerby Cummings, 41, of Russellville, passed away on July 8. Visitation took place July 13, at Spry Memorial Chapel from 1 pm to 3pm....
July 16, 2025
July 11,2025Julie “JuJu” Welch Black, 63, of Russellville, passed away on July 11.Graveside service was held at 1pm on July 13, at Belgreen Cemetery w...
July 16, 2025
July 9, 2025Scott Noel Benford, age 58, of Muscle Shoals, passed away on July 9. Visitation was held at Pinkard Funeral Home in Russellville on July 1...
July 16, 2025