FOR GOP, PRIMARIES LAY GROUNDWORK FOR GAINING HOUSE MAJORITY

JEFFERSON CITY -- The Aug. 6 legislative primaries are just a warmup for a longer, tougher fall campaign -- a fight that Republicans contend will end with them controlling the Missouri House for the first time in two generations.

The GOP needs to hold its 74 seats and pick up seven more to seize a House majority. Both parties are especially targeting seats for which 11 Democrats and six Republicans are not seeking re-election. In some cases, multiple candidates from a party are bidding for a nomination to run in November.

"It is not only a realistic goal, but we are going to take the House this time," said Pat Fusselman, Missouri Republican Party executive director. "It is be easy to gain seven seats and I don't think 10 is outrageous."

But Democrats are equally confident of keeping control of the chamber, counting on expanding their 88-seat majority on Nov. 5. There is one House vacancy.

"I think we may pick up seats, but we have to work hard. People don't want a Newt Gingrich in control of the Missouri House," said House Speaker Steve Gaw.

The open seats are currently held by Democrats Jim Pauley of Ashland; Ken Jacob of Columbia; Greg Canuteson of Liberty; Gary Witt of Platte City; Annette Morgan of Kansas City; Tony Ribaudo and Matt O'Neill, both of St. Louis; Bob Ward of Bonne Terre; Jason Klumb of Butler; Ken Fiebelman of Salem, and Jess Garnett of West Plains.

The retiring Republicans are Dale Whiteside of Chillicothe; Paul Sombart of Boonville; David Oetting of Concordia; Bill Marshall of Greenfield, Doyle Childers of Reeds Spring and Jim Mitchell of Richland.

Three retiring House members -- Jacob, Oetting and Childers -- are trying to win open Missouri Senate seats.

Republicans are counting on discontent with Democrats to help them take control of the House.

Gaw, D-Moberly, replaced Bob Griffin as speaker in January, after a 16-year Griffin reign that left Republicans bitter -- and hopeful of finally taking charge.

For Democratic and five Republican House incumbents, the primary elections will be their only contests this year, since they are unopposed in November for another two-year term.

The incumbent Democrats facing primaries but no general election opposition are Sam Leake of Laddonia; Tom Marshall of Marshall; Carol Jean Mays, Dick Franklin and Dennis Bonner, all of Independence; Russell Goward, Paula Carter, Quincy Troupe, Dorathea Davis and Pat Dougherty, all of St. Louis. Republicans include Don Steen of Eldon; T. Mark Elliott and Gary Burton, both of Carl Junction; Connie Wible Murray of Springfield, and Beth Long of Lebanon.

The situation is reversed for 43 Democrats and 42 Republicans in the House, who have no primaries but for whom general election fights await.

Five Democrats and six Republicans face both primary and general election opposition.

Who are the luckiest members? The 19 Democrats and 16 Republicans who got free rides to another term when no one filed against them.

Gaw is among this lucky group of 35 -- but he says many incumbents who don't have primaries are already campaigning, himself included.

"In a legislative race, there is a lot of door-to-door and personal contact," the speaker said. "Doing that requires an extended period of time, but you have to do it."

Republicans said the long campaign season -- first stop Aug. 6 -- will give them a chance to lay out an alternative vision of a GOP-run Legislature.

"Missouri is a good conservative state. There are a number of issues," Fusselman said, citing education and taxes as two of them.

The GOP has criticized Democratic lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Mel Carnahan for pushing into law in 1993 a $310 million income tax increase to benefit schools. A handful of Republicans voted for the package.

"Taxes and Mel Carnahan are going to be synonymous," Fusselman pledged. "People aren't happy with public education. They want to return to the basics."

But many Democrats say the popular governor is an asset to their campaigns because of his record.

"We need to tell our story -- a story of improved education, economic development, programs for the elderly, reduced welfare and tougher crime laws," said House Majority Leader Gracia Backer, D-New Bloomfield.