Republican Dunn Lampton of McComb faces incumbent Ronnie Shows, a Democrat, in the race for the U.S. 4th District congressional race on Tuesday.

Lampton places a high priority on political issues affecting families, he said in a written response to questions posed by The Natchez Democrat earlier this week.

Those issues include bringing new jobs to southwest Mississippi &uot;to help families make ends meet.&uot;

Lampton, a district attorney for Mississippi’s 14th Circuit Court District for more than 20 years, cites his ability to work with other Mississippi Republicans as one reason to elect him to Congress.

&uot;From day one I will work with Sen. (Trent) Lott and Sen. (Thad) Cochran to bring jobs and opportunity to our district,&uot; he said.

Moreover, he said, people of the 4th District can be assured that he will &uot;support leadership that reflects our Mississippi values, not challenge them.&uot;

Lampton supports the Republican Party stand on gun control, abortion and smaller federal government.

&uot;I will work with George W. Bush and others to protect our Second Amendment, fight for the life of the unborn and reduce the size and influence of government in our lives,&uot; he said.

&uot;My opponent, on the other hand, has set a record that places him in the top 5 percent of members to support more, bigger government.&uot;

On senior citizen issues, Lampton also turns to the GOP platform and programs outlined by Republican Presidential candidate Bush.

&uot;I stand with Gov. Bush to secure our senior citizens the benefits they have been promised. …I will also work with all members of Congress to ensure that senior citizens have the opportunity to benefit from a prescription drug program.&uot;

Lampton supports legislation that would allow doctors and Medicare patients, &uot;not bureaucrats,&uot; make the right decisions on their health care, he said.

&uot;I will also work with all members of Congress to ensure that senior citizens have the opportunity to benefit from a prescription drug program,&uot; Lampton said.

Education also ranks high on his political agenda.

&uot;Education is an issue that is dear to my heart,&uot; he said. &uot;I majored in education and taught school before my career as a prosecutor began.

&uot;I understand that no people from Washington come to our schools to teach, but it is the hard-working teachers and families that make schools work.

&uot;I will fight with my party and against the Democratic Party to ensure that local people are empowered to make the right decisions.&uot;

Lampton believes his experiences as an attorney and in military service would give him an important edge in serving southwest Mississippi as a congressman.

&uot;As a district attorney, I have worked to uphold the law and ensure that all receive equal protection under it,&uot; he said. &uot;My record strongly reflects my commitment to the people of this great state.

&uot;I look to take the lessons I have learned through my relationship as a father, my work as a district attorney and my service in our nation’s military to the U.S. House of Representatives to restore faith and integrity to our federal government.&uot;

Lampton is a graduate of the University of Mississippi and the University of Mississippi School of Law.

He includes in his credentials a record of putting murderers on death row and drug dealers behind bars.

He is known in legal circles for enforcing child support laws and prosecuting welfare frauds, church burnings and Mississippi’s first elderly abuse case.

He has served in the Mississippi National Guard since 1973 in both the enlisted and officer ranks.