[06/05/02]Warren County favored incumbent U.S. Rep. Bennie C. Thompson Tuesday, joining the rest of the 2nd Congressional District in backing the Democrat for a fifth term.

In November, Thompson, 55, will face Republican Clinton B. LeSueur, 33, of Greenville.

Across the mostly Delta district, redrawn after the 2002 Census, Thompson defeated challenger George E. Irvin, 53, of Jackson.

Irvin, a former military officer and federal executive was Thompson’s first party opponent since the former Bolton resident and Hinds County supervisor was elected in 1993.

LeSueur’s primary opponent was Charlotte Reeves, 55, also of Jackson.

In Warren County, turnout was probably near a record low. About 4,596 cast ballots Tuesday, or about 14 percent of the county’s 32,365 registered voters, unofficial results showed. On a total population basis, the turnout means about one in 10 expressed a preference on their delegate to the U.S. House.

Here, Thompson received about 57 percent of Democrat votes to Irvin’s 43 percent. With 99 percent of the vote counted districtwide, Thompson had 45,786 votes, or 73 percent, to Irvin’s 16,808, or 27 percent.

In Republican voting, about 58 percent of county voters chose LeSueur and about 42 percent chose Reeves. Complete, unofficial returns across the district showed LeSueur with 6,434 votes, or 54 percent, to Reeves’ 5,404 votes, or 46 percent.

Joining Thompson and LeSueur on the general election ballot will be Reform Party candidate Lee Dilworth of Jackson. There may be more voter interest on Nov. 5 because several judicial races will also be on that ballot.

About 200,000 voters were added to the 2nd Congressional District for this year’s elections after slow population growth caused Mississippi to lose one of its seats in the U.S. House. The district includes much of the Delta and part of metropolitan Jackson.

In Tuesday’s other Democratic primary, for U.S. Senate, a majority of county and state voters chose Steven Douglas Turney of Bassfield over James W. “Bootie” Hunt of Starkville, but that race was thrown into limbo since it was not included on one county’s ballot. The winner of that race is to face Republican incumbent Thad Cochran in the general election.

In the Senate primary county returns mirrored the state’s. Turney won with about 52 percent of the vote, to Hunt’s about 46 percent. With 98 percent of the vote counted, unofficial statewide returns showed Turney with 29,995 votes, or 52 percent, to Hunt’s 27,389 votes, or 48 percent.

County political party chairmen, who were in charge of the primaries, said they were disappointed in the low voter turnout but hoped for better in the general election.

“We do expect the general election to be heavier because it always is,” Democratic Party Chairman Mary Katherine Brown said.

“I would like to see the general election have as heavy a turnout as a presidential year,” Republican Party Chairman Karoline Finch said.

Warren County Election Commission Chairman James McMullin said operation of the primaries was smooth except for a few minor glitches of the kind that are to be expected, most involving out-of-date voter addresses.

That was in contrast to the close U.S. Senate Democratic primary in Yazoo County, which threw the statewide primary into limbo because the race was not included on the ballot.

Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Rickey Cole said he would discuss the issue with the secretary of state, the attorney general and the two candidates.

“Any decision on what course to take will have to consider the wishes of the candidates. It may be that they are willing for the results from the other 81 counties to decide this,” Cole said. “But I want to discuss this with the legal minds.”

Cole said ballots mailed to all 82 counties had the U.S. Senate race listed.

“It was just a mistake they made locally,” he said.

H.A. Scott, chairman of the Yazoo County Democratic Executive Committee, which ran the election, said the ballot sent to him by the state party did not have the Senate race listed.

“I don’t know what happened,” Scott said.

Scott said he would check with state party officials Wednesday to determine what to do.

“If it’s a dead heat, I guess we’ll have to do something, I don’t know what. If it’s not a dead heat, I guess it won’t make any difference,” Scott said.

There were more than 3,500 ballots cast in Yazoo County in the Democratic primary in the 2nd Congressional District.

Also on the November ballot for the Senate will be Reform Party or independent candidate Shawn O’Hara of Hattiesburg.

Hunt has run unsuccessfully for governor and other offices. Turney, a retired private investigator, ran unsuccessfully for secretary of state in 1987.

“I think our message was clear,” the congressman said. “We want to help with the educational opportunities in the district. We want to look at the health benefits that are available to the people in this district and assist the local leadership in trying to create economic opportunities and jobs.”

Reeves said she was hurt by low voter turnout and a three-month campaign that limited her ability to get her name out in the district.

LeSueur said he campaigned door-to-door and will use the same strategy against Thompson.

“I’ve worked extremely hard for the people’s vote and the people’s trust,” LeSueur said. “The people deserve someone who will come out, knock on their door and ask for their vote. That’s what I’ll start doing tomorrow.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.