CAPE GIRARDEAU MAN THROWS HAT IN U.S. SENATE RING

Cape Girardeau resident Andrew Ostrowski said Saturday he will challenge Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon for the Democratic nomination in the U.S. Senate race next year.

The 35-year-old Ostrowski said he will run on an anti-abortion platform.

Ostrowski ran last year's congressional campaign of Republican Richard Kline of Gipsy.

Ostrowski said he is an "aggressive fringe candidate." He is concerned that Nixon could beat incumbent Republican Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond in the November 1998 election.

Ostrowski said he hopes his candidacy could weaken Nixon's chances of unseating Bond.

He said he wants voters to know that "abortion is killing this country."

"Abortion devalues human life and the family," he said.

He believes his candidacy will attract anti-abortion voters. He also hopes Republicans will cross over and vote for him in the Democratic primary.

Ostrowski, who once considered becoming a priest, said he wants Nixon to debate him.

Ostrowski paid a $200 fee and filed his candidacy with the Missouri Democratic State Committee earlier this month.

Candidates can't officially file for office with the state until next year, he said.

Ostrowski works for Manpower in Cape Girardeau. The company provides temporary workers to businesses.

He currently is doing temporary work at the Procter and Gamble plant in Cape Girardeau County.

He graduated from Southeast Missouri State University this summer with a bachelor's degree in general studies.