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Races entering homestretch this weekend - Pace to pick up for Dallas-area candidates

Dallas Morning News, The (TX) (Published as The Dallas Morning News) - September 6, 1998
Author/Byline: Todd J. Gillman, Staff Writer of The Dallas Morning News
Edition: HOME FINAL
Section: NEWS
Page: 35A
Correction: CORRECTIONS, CLARIFICATIONS: On Page 38A of Sunday's Metropolitan section, a graphic incorrectly listed the
Democratic opponent of U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Clarendon, in the 13th Congressional District. He will face Lubbock professor Mark
Harmon in the Nov. 3 election. (Ran: Monday, September 7, 1998)
Readability: 9-12 grade level (Lexile: 1130)
As if on cue this Labor Day weekend, gloves began to come off Saturday in the race between 10-term U.S. Rep. Martin Frost and his
GOP challenger, Shawn Terry.

"Martin Frost is the most liberal congressman we've got in Texas," Mr. Terry told voter after voter as he knocked on doors in Grand
Prairie. "He is supporting more taxes, more social programs. He's for partial-birth abortion."

Campaigning an hour later at an American Postal Workers Union barbecue in Flower Mound, 30 miles north of his 24th District, Mr. Frost,
a Democrat, smiled and said Mr. Terry's attacks betray his inexperience.

"His problem is the only office he's ever run for is student body vice president at SMU," Mr. Frost said of his opponent, a management
consultant two decades his junior.

Throughout the summer, candidates for governor, Congress and county commissioner have sweat, speechified and begged for cash.

But this weekend begins the homestretch before Election Day. From now until Nov. 3, yard signs will bloom, pamphlets will fill mailboxes
and a cacophony of ads will jam the airwaves.

"It's a whole new campaign," said GOP political consultant Pat Cotton. "Wipe out the primaries. Start over."

Labor Day itself is one of the busiest days of the campaign season as candidates rush from union breakfasts to parades to picnics.

"Psychologically, it's very, very important," said Ken Molberg, former Dallas County Democratic chairman and a longtime member of its
state executive committee. "It marks more or less the start of the race for everybody concerned. That's despite the fact that many of us
have been working for months now."

The race between Mr. Terry and Mr. Frost in the 24th District, which stretches from Oak Cliff to southern Fort Worth, has gotten the most
attention among local congressional races. But five other area House races have candidates from both major parties.

One of the most colorful matches is in the 5th District, where freshman Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Dallas, is trying to fend off Democrat Victor
Morales. The Mesquite schoolteacher is still riding the campaign trail in the pickup made famous in his 1996 Senate race.

Republicans control the U.S. House by 11 votes, and with a special prosecutor poised to issue a report on President Clinton, many GOP
leaders predict wide gains in November.

Mr. Frost, who chairs the Democrats' effort to win back the House, said Saturday that he's sticking with the prediction that his party has a
50-50 chance to do that. He sees little chance that any Texas seat will change hands. The best chance, he said, is in the Houston-area
district represented by Republican Rep. Ron Paul.

In Dallas County, the major parties also are watching the bare-knuckles fight between County Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield and
former Dallas City Council member Bob Stimson. Mr. Mayfield, a Republican, ousted Chris Semos four years ago, and Democrats are
keen to win back the seat that Mr. Semos held for so long.

Mr. Mayfield and Mr. Stimson has swapped accusations for months.

Mr. Stimson has called Mr. Mayfield unfit to serve, citing sexual misconduct allegations that a grand jury dismissed. Mr. Mayfield
apologized to two women in those cases and denied criminal wrongdoing. He has attacked Mr. Stimson for spending city funds on a letter
telling voters about his bid for commissioner. The city attorney cleared the expenditure, and Mr. Stimson later repaid the city.

Looming over the fall campaign is the Monica Lewinsky matter, which Republicans say can only benefit them.

"It's a big millstone around Democrats' necks," said Bob Driegert, Dallas County GOP chairman. "It's kind of demoralizing for the
Democrats, and it makes our people more determined. It's similar to 1994 when Clinton was unpopular, when we won 59 out of 59 races
and Ken Mayfield beat Chris Semos."

Mr. Molberg, the Democrat, disagreed.

"I wouldn't call it a cloud," he said. "Last I noticed, Bill Clinton isn't on the ballot this year. If what they're saying is that there's some
malaise among Democrats, I haven't seen it."

Voters interviewed Saturday were split.

"I know the polls say they don't care," retiree Barbara Jones, 66, told Mr. Terry when he came to her door at lunchtime. "I wonder
sometimes where they get these polls. I think he should resign."

At the postal workers' barbecue that Mr. Frost attended, several voters said the Lewinsky matter isn't important.

"Bottom line," said Felicia Morgan, a 40-year-old Hamilton Park resident who does volunteer work with seniors, "he could get up there and
lie like a rug, but if he does good for the country, let's keep him."

Floretta Reed, a district Postal Service manager who lives in Southlake, said Mr. Clinton is "a bum" in his private life. "But we have some
major issues. The world economy. Terrorism. He's been a good president," she said.

Mr. Terry lists the president's troubles among the critical issues facing 24th District voters. Mr. Terry has called on the president to resign -
to ensure, he says, that voters pay attention to other vital issues.

"Martin Frost needs to come out very clearly and say how the president can serve when his moral authority is gone," Mr. Terry said.

Mr. Frost said it's too early to tell whether the Clinton matter will affect the outcome of any races, adding, "I'm going to stick to the issues
that people care about, like Social Security."

In a sign that both sides are stepping up their efforts, Mr. Frost will start airing the first radio spots of his campaign on Tuesday. On
Saturday, Mr. Terry was handing out new campaign fliers featuring an endorsement from Gov. George W. Bush, whose popularity is
another factor that Republicans say will help them sweep the fall elections.

Mr. Frost said he doesn't believe the governor will help other GOP candidates. "Bush has no coattails at all," said Mr. Frost, citing recent
polls showing Democrat Jim Mattox far ahead of Republican John Cornyn in the race for attorney general.

Mr. Frost and Mr. Terry have big guns lined up for the fall campaign. House Speaker Newt Gingrich will headline a Terry breakfast on
Sept. 30. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson, the highest-ranking Hispanic in the Clinton cabinet, will campaign for Mr. Frost in October.

Both candidates are talking about a range of issues. They differ on education, health-care reform, how to use the federal budget surplus
and what to do about Social Security.

Issues such as abortion clearly show the ideological divide. Mr. Terry calls the incumbent "an extremist on social issues" for opposing a
ban on late-term abortion. Lawmakers who opposed the ban argued that decisions about the rare procedure should be left to doctors.

"I don't see how he can support infanticide," Mr. Terry said. Mr. Frost responded that "I have not supported the right-wing view."

Voters have two more months to sort through it all.

"I have noticed just in the past week or two . . . a real heightened interest. People certainly are focusing more on the November election,"
Mr. Terry said, adding that it's not as if he's been sitting still since announcing for office. "We've worked pretty hard for a year. I don't know
that we're going to work any harder."

Caption: CHART(S): (DMN) Top Dallas-Area Races:


Index terms: ELECTIONS '98
Record: 1046563
Copyright: Copyright 1998 The Dallas Morning News

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