Ronnie Shows, with one term as 4th District congressman behind him, is eager to continue serving southwest Mississippi, he said.

Running for re-election against Republican Dunn Lampton, Shows, a Democrat, cites his experience in Washington and in other public offices as an important reason why voters should choose him over his opponent.

&uot;There are two commitments I have always made during my 24 years as a public servant, to be honest and to work hard,&uot; Shows said in a prepared response to questions posed by The Natchez Democrat.

He has worked diligently, he said, &uot;to gain the experience needed to be ultimately effective for southwest Mississippi.&uot;

Shows said his actions in Congress have reflected concerns expressed to him by constituents in Mississippi’s 4th District.

&uot;I am 100 percent, according to the NRA, in my fight for Second Amendment rights,&uot; he said. &uot;That’s why the NRA has endorsed me.&uot;

What’s more, he has earned the endorsement of Mississippi Right to Life because of his voting record on abortion issues, he said.

&uot;I am one of four leaders of the Congressional Pro-life Caucus and have an impeccable record in fighting for the rights of the unborn,&uot; he said.

His record reflects his commitment to &uot;put Mississippi first,&uot; he said.

&uot;I am fighting for jobs, tax cuts, farmers and working families.&uot;

Shows embraces many of the conservative views most often associated with the opposing party.

He said his voting record shows that he &uot;always put the people of the 4th Congressional District first.&uot;

He agrees with his party often but disagrees at times, he said.

He supports the conservative &uot;50-25-25 Plan&uot; to lower the national debt, which he said &uot;stands out as the most effective approach to dealing with the federal budget surplus.&uot;

The plan works by using 50 percent of the surplus to eliminate the national debt by 2010, using no trust funds.

Another 25 percent of the surplus would be used for tax cuts, the largest in 20 years, Shows said, and would include elimination of the marriage tax penalty and estate tax penalty.

The other 25 percent would be earmarked for programs such as a Medicare prescription drug benefit, restoring cuts to hospitals and &uot;improving the safety net for farmers.&uot;

Other priorities on Shows’ agenda are increasing defense spending by $15 billion, passing a patients bill of rights and improving education, he said.

Natchez and southwest Mississippi would benefit from his &uot;NAFTA Impact Relief Act,&uot; Shows said.

This bill targets areas negatively affected by NAFTA and creates programs for job training as well as tax incentives for businesses.

&uot;And I am working to make our schools the most wired to the Internet by 2006 and fighting for smaller class sizes.&uot;

Shows pointed to highways built in southwest Mississippi under his leadership in the 1990s.

&uot;Natchez is a tourism jewel,&uot; he said.

&uot;I am still working to create better roads just like I did as highway commissioner.

&uot;Bringing jobs to southwest Mississippi is a priority.&uot;

Shows, a University of Southern Mississippi graduate, is a former teacher and high school coach.

His political career began in 1976, when he was elected circuit clerk of Jefferson Davis County. In 1980 he won a Mississippi Senate seat.

In 1988 he became a commissioner of transportation in the Southern District and held that position until 1998.