TWO MORE FILE FOR SEAT HELD BY EMERSON

JEFFERSON CITY - U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson, who is seeking a seventh term, drew one new challenger on Monday and two more on Tuesday.

The Republican challenger is E. Earl Durnell, a farmer from Cabool.

Shannon Russell, a farmer from Gideon, entered the 8th District race as a Democrat on Monday. Filing as Democrats Tuesday were Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney Jon A. Kiser of Piedmont and Dean Burk, a high school teacher in St. Louis who lives near De Soto.

Last Friday James L. "Jay" Thompson, 53, of Bourbon, filed for the seat. Earlier, Thad Bullock, a retired Cape Girardeau businessman, and Johnny Dover, a Bell City factory worker, filed on the Democratic ticket.

State Rep. Joe Driskill, D-Poplar Bluff, who had been weighing a decision over the last week whether to run for Congress, decided Monday not to run.

Democratic Party leaders had been urging Driskill and Sen. Danny Staples, D-Eminence, to take on Emerson this year. There was a feeling that an anti-incumbency mood, a struggling economy, the likelihood of Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton heading the party's presidential ticket, and the revelation that Emerson had written six bad checks at the House bank, might make Emerson vulnerable.

Staples backed out of running last week, saying he did not have time to organize a campaign. Driskill weighed the decision over the weekend before deciding Monday to stay in the Missouri House.

For Driskill, the final decision came down to his family. He and his wife, Jan, have children ages 4 and 2.

"After much consultation with my family, we have decided that this would not be the best year to be a candidate for another office," explained Driskill. "My highest concern is what is best for my wife and kids."

Because he would be starting his campaign late, Driskill said he faced the prospects of being away from his family for seven months and did not feel that was something he could do.

"The timeframe to consider this was very short, but it came down to a family decision," said Driskill.

"This does not mean I do not want to run for Congress or another office at some point in the future," he said.

Kiser apparently decided to enter the race Monday night. He arrived at the secretary of state's office to file less than an hour before the deadline.

The last candidate to file, however, was Burk, who waited around the office to make sure he was the last to file, thereby putting his name at the bottom of the ballot.

Burk said he has been campaigning since January and had hoped to claim the top position on the ballot; however, Bullock beat him to it. "Since I couldn't be first, I wanted to be last," remarked Burk.

He said that if voters are not familiar with the candidates, being at the top or bottom of the list of several candidates is an advantage.

Burk lives on the edge of the district in Washington County. Burk pointed out that he and Emerson were both raised in Hillsboro and that he has known Emerson all his life.

Burk said he has never sought political office before and stressed that he "is definitely an outsider" in this race.

"I was running for Congress before this outbreak of anti-incumbency took place," said Burk. "I am running because I wanted the Democratic Party to have a good candidate."

Burk said the key issues are education, health care, the economy, and environment - issues he contends Emerson has been weak on.