EMERSON'S WIFE TO RUN FOR CONGRESS, GOP SOURCES SAY

Jo Ann Emerson will run for her late husband's 8th District congressional seat, Republican Party insiders said Friday.

Sources in the party said Emerson, 46, will officially announce her candidacy Tuesday or Wednesday in Cape Girardeau. Her campaign will carry the theme: "Team Emerson. Join Us Now."

Campaign signs with that theme were being designed Friday and are scheduled to be printed by the first part of next week.

Emerson said in a written statement earlier this week that she was seriously considering entering the race "to build upon the common sense, conservative legacy set forth by my husband."

Jo Ann Emerson couldn't be reached for comment Friday.

Bill Emerson served for 16 years as Southeast Missouri's congressman. The Cape Girardeau Republican was a strong favorite to win his ninth term when he died June 22 of lung cancer.

Since then, a number of Southeast Missouri GOP leaders, including state Sen. Peter Kinder, have urged Jo Ann Emerson to run as an independent candidate in the November election.

Jo Ann Emerson grew up in Bethesda, Md. Her late father was the executive director of the Republican National Committee during the 1960s.

Jo Ann Emerson held a number of jobs in Washington since the mid-1980s while handling the duties of a congressman's wife.

She worked for the National Republican Congressional Committee, helping candidates develop campaign commercials.

She also worked for the National Restaurant Association, coordinating the various state associations of the national trade group.

She was most recently employed with a firm that deals with states and issues related to property and casualty insurance, and workmen's compensation.

She used to sell real estate in the District of Columbia and Maryland.

Talk of an independent candidacy doesn't sit well with Earl Durnell, a cattle rancher from Cabool.

Bill Emerson's death has left Durnell and Richard Kline of Gipsy as the only two Republican candidates for 8th District congressman on the August primary ballot. Party officials view Durnell and Kline as weak candidates.

Durnell said Friday it would be "a foolish endeavor and a waste of party resources" for the GOP to back an independent candidate.

State party officials refused to respond to Durnell's statement. Kline couldn't be reached for comment.

Durnell said he will remain in the race regardless of what Jo Ann Emerson does.

He said any Republican who runs as an independent candidate will split up GOP votes, which could result in a November election win for the Democratic nominee.

He pointed out that the Democratic Party is backing candidate Emily Firebaugh of Farmington.

"The Democrats won't support an independent run by Sen. Danny Staples or any other Democrat because another candidate would only split up the vote," he said.

He said Republicans should get behind him rather than trot out another candidate.

Durnell said the state GOP regards him as a longshot, dark-horse candidate.

But he isn't deterred by how party people view him. "As a small-town cattle rancher, I know what it's like to put in a hard day's work day in and day out all year long, and I think most of the 8th District people understand this concept."

Durnell said he is a serious candidate.

He said he would spend about $200,000 of his own money and hopes to raise a like amount. Durnell said he owns several farms and may sell one of them to help fund his election campaign.

Durnell said he is more organized and well funded this time than when he ran in 1992.

Durnell said he spent about $60,000 of his own money in a losing effort four years ago.

"I have some experience and I have a lot more money," he said of his current campaign. "If I win the primary, I intend to go all the way to November."

Durnell garnered 12,807 votes in the 1992 GOP primary or 31 percent of the 41,780 votes cast in his unsuccessful bid to unseat Bill Emerson.