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Candidate Profile from Congressional Quarterly

• Born: January 26, 1947, Moselle.
• Education: Jones Junior College, attended; Southeastern Baptist College, attended; U. of Southern Mississippi, B.A., 1971.
• Military Service: None.
• Occupation: Teacher; coach.
• Family: Wife, Johnnie Ruth; four children.
• Religion: Baptist.
• Political Career: Jefferson Davis County circuit clerk, 1976-80; Miss. Senate, 1980-88; Miss. district highway commissioner, 1988-present.

• Campaign Address: Shows for Congress, Rt. 2, Box 228 A-1, Bassfield, MS 39421
• Telephone: (601) 362-0299
• Fax: Not reported.
• E-mail: Not reported.
• Web: www.ronnieshows.org

Because of his conservative opinions on social is-sues such as abortion and gun control, Shows will not always be in agreement with the Democratic leadership in Congress.

Instead, Shows is likely to cast himself as a "Mississippi Democrat," much like the state's other white conservative, Gene Taylor, who represents the 5th District.

But, like Taylor, Shows holds strong party loyalties, and he says he will always be a Democrat even though his predecessor in the 4th, Mike Parker, switched parties to join the GOP.

"I'm going to be that way; I'm going to stay that way; and they're going to bury me that way," he said.

Though about 40 percent of the district's population lives in the Jackson area, which is split between the 2nd and 4th districts, Shows will work in Congress to bring economic development to the rest of his southwestern Mississippi district, which includes many poor, rural areas and a substantial portion of African-American voters.

He says he will work to raise the minimum wage, and he says he will fight free trade agreements that he thinks are bad for Mississippi.

Shows spent the last decade serving as the state transportation commissioner for the southern portion of Mississippi, where he worked to expand four-lane highways in rural areas. On Capitol Hill, he is hoping to build upon that experience as a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, although he says he also would like to serve on Appropriations.

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