FIREBAUGH GETS 8TH NOD; GOP RACE TOO CLOSE TO CALL

Emily Firebaugh of Farmington handily won the Democratic primary Tuesday for the 8th District congressional seat in her first run for public office.

On the Republican side, the race was too close to call late Tuesday night with Richard Kline of Gipsy holding a 335-vote lead over Cabool cattle farmer Earl Durnell.

Kline had 12,267 votes to 11,932 for Durnell with 94 percent of the precincts reporting.

"I have been sitting at home just nervous as all heck," Kline said late Tuesday night.

Kline said he hoped the lead would hold up. "My victory speech is very short. Thank you, Jesus," he said.

Kline spent about $1,000 on the primary, mostly for fliers. Unlike his opponent, he had no television ads.

Firebaugh defeated two opponents who previously had run for Congress.

Firebaugh garnered more than 31,000 votes or about 56 percent. Perennial candidate Thad Bullock of Cape Girardeau received 23 percent of the vote and Gene Curtis of Matthews received 21 percent.

With 94 percent of precincts reporting, Firebaugh had 31,650 votes to 13,079 for Bullock and 11,573 for Curtis.

Bullock was making his eighth run for Congress and Curtis his second.

Firebaugh won throughout the 26-county district.

In Cape Girardeau County, she garnered 2,557 votes or 76.49 percent. Bullock had 456 votes or 13.64 percent. Curtis received 330 votes or just under 10 percent.

"I feel as though I am in the eye of a hurricane," a smiling Firebaugh said as she and her campaign staff waited for election results at the Drury Lodge Tuesday night.

Firebaugh, 54, made a brief appearance before a cheering crowd of about 100 friends, family and supporters shortly before 9 p.m.

She spoke again in a victory celebration at 10 p.m.

"I think we have been successful so far because the issues are issues of Missouri's working families," she said.

"I think economic security is one of the important issues in this campaign," she said.

Firebaugh said she has received strong grassroots support.

Firebaugh had campaigned since April, visiting 24 of the 26 Southeast Missouri counties that make up the 8th District.

Ironically, the former newspaper publisher relied entirely on television advertising in the primary.

"Because the district is so large we felt as though we had to let the voters know who I am," she said.

Wayne Cryts, a Puxico Democrat who lost two general elections to then congressman Bill Emerson in 1986 and 1988, attended Firebaugh's victory party.

He suggested Democrats who voted for Emerson, a Republican, in the past will return to the fold and vote for Firebaugh in November.

Emerson held the congressional seat for 16 years. He died of lung cancer in June.

Firebaugh's primary victory sets up a five-candidate race in November. The other candidates include the winner of the GOP primary, as well as independent candidate and Emerson's widow, Jo Ann Emerson, Libertarian Greg Tlapek of Cape Girardeau and Natural Law Party candidate David Zimmer of Cape Girardeau.