CAPE MUSICIAN WINS 8TH DISTRICT PRIMARY

Cape Girardeau guitarist Bob Camp won the Democratic nomination Tuesday for the 8th District congressional seat.

Camp, who didn't actively campaign for the seat, defeated Cabool cattle farmer Earl Durnell for the right to face Rep. Jo Ann Emerson this fall.

With 93 percent of the precincts reporting, Camp had 27,511 votes compared to 20,886 for Durnell.

"I am excited and amazed," Camp said from his home Tuesday night. "I think it is pretty cool."

Durnell spent about $10,000 on the primary race. Camp said he didn't spend a dime on the race other than the filing fee.

This was the third try at the congressional seat for Durnell. He twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican, garnering 31 percent of the vote in the 1994 primary and 49 percent in the 1996 primary.

This time around, Durnell won only five counties in the 8th District. He won in Howell, Oregon, Shannon, Texas and Wright counties.

Durnell said he didn't think his previous races as a Republican candidate hurt him with Democratic voters. "It appeared that I had been perceived pretty well within the Democratic Party where I had gone and campaigned," he said.

Durnell suggested that some Emerson supporters may have taken Democratic ballots to vote for Camp. "It just shows really the power of the Emerson people," he said.

Camp won 21 counties in the 8th District, including Cape Girardeau County where he currently resides and Scott County where he maintains his voting address.

In Scott County alone, he received 3,749 votes compared to 2,696 for Durnell. Camp won Cape Girardeau County by a 139 vote margin.

Camp pushed for campaign finance reform, his only issue in the primary campaign.

Camp suggested he might try the non-campaigning approach in the fall election.

"I spent nothing. If I keep on spending nothing, I think my chances are pretty good," said Camp.

As to the possibility that Emerson supporters voted for him in the primary, Camp said he wasn't concerned.

"If they did, I sure appreciate it," he said.