Primary hopefuls address church in Cape

A little more than a week before primary elections, three Democratic candidates presented their views Sunday to a local church congregation.

More than 50 people at Rhema Word Breakthrough International Ministries listened to public administrator candidate Deborah McBride, District 2 candidate for Cape Girardeau County commissioner Jim Bowers and Dean Henderson, an 8th District candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives.

"The way to invoke change is to vote and not just talk about it," said Dr. Anthony G. Green, senior pastor and founder of the church. In order to encourage people to vote, he invited Democratic candidates to speak during the morning worship service, adding that Republicans may be invited in the future.

McBride, also a member of Rhema, accepted the invitation primarily to encourage her congregational "family" to vote, she said.

"If you do not go to those polls on Aug. 3 and vote your conscience, shame on you," she said to the congregation in a continuous flow of words punctuated with energetic movement across the stage.

She said after her address that the congregation's votes are so important that they could swing the outcome of this year's election.

Her opponent in the primary is Sharla "Charlie" Harrison.

The candidates' appearance swayed at least a few voters. Sakia Green, 23, of Cape Girardeau will vote for Henderson on Aug. 3. She said she had initially planned to vote only for McBride because she knows the candidate personally.

Having never heard them speak before, Lillian Rush, 58, of Cape Girardeau said that she now plans to vote for McBride, Henderson and Bowers.

"These people, what they said, line up so strongly with what my beliefs are," Rush said.

Henderson presented his platform, which included his desires to approve tax cuts for low-income households and tax increases for the wealthy, to pull U.S. troops out of Iraq and to work toward federally funded health care and education for every individual.

Green said Henderson's address educated her on how other countries handle health care. Also, Henderson's background as a low-income farmer helps make him more connected to the issues that he is working on, she said.

Cape Girardeau resident Thomas White, 29, said Henderson "has the same heart and mind of the audience that he was speaking to today," which likely won him some votes.

Henderson, of Peace Valley, Mo., will face Wright County dairy farmer Jerry Cass in the Democratic primary.

White said he connected with Bowers on the issue of attracting industries to the area, especially because it could create more job opportunities in criminal justice, in which he holds a degree.

Bowers presented his objectives to work on education, to attract industries so that the younger generations stay in the county and to improve communication between the commissioner and the people. Because the county commissioner directly serves the people, Bowers said, he will make it a full-time position if elected.

Bowers is the only Democrat running for commissioner in District 2.

As for welcoming candidates who speak during a worship service, "I think it's great, because it educates our members so that we can make decisions on our political parties," Rush said.

The education is not just about candidates' positions but the candidates themselves.

"It puts the candidate out of their normal environments and makes them have to adjust themselves," Green said.

Mixing politics with church was not an issue to most of the congregation members and candidates Sunday.

Even though he supports the separation of church of state, Bowers accepted the invitation to speak because it was an opportunity to stress the need to vote and to meet new people, he said.

McBride was upfront about her belief in God in her address to the congregation and said afterward she will continue to express her faith if she is elected as public administrator.

However, "I feel that what makes me me is not what makes you you," McBride said afterward. "I cannot force anybody into my box, and I don't plan to do that."

jmetelski@semissourian.com

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