Republican George W. Bush will occupy the White House and U.S.Senator Trent Lott and U.S. Rep. Ronnie Shows will be back inCongress, according to results of a Promote the Vote mock electionheld across the state Tuesday by the Secretary of State’soffice.

In local voting, students at two participating area schools,Brookhaven High and Wesson Attendance Center, also gave nods toBush and Lott. However, the schools split in the 4th District race,with BHS giving Shows a victory and Wesson students preferringRepublican challenger Dunn Lampton, the district attorney forLincoln, Pike and Walthall counties.

“I think that’s representative of what it will be like nextweek,” said Linda Warren, head of the social studies department atBHS, about statewide results.

Warren said the mock election is a good thing in which studentscan take part.

“It gives them an opportunity to get a feel for what it will belike to vote in the upcoming years, and it shows how important itis for them to exercise their right to vote,” Warren said.

In statewide totals, Bush captured 40,900 votes, or 54.8percent, to Gore’s 28,882 votes, or 38.7 percent. Independent RalphNader was third with 1,556 votes, or 2 percent, and five otherscandidates split the remaining votes.

Close BHS voting gave Bush 152 votes and Gore received 133votes. Wesson students gave Bush a larger margin of victory with atally of 144-58.

By about 2-1 margins statewide and locally, Lott defeatedDemocratic challenger Troy Brown.

Across the state, Lott got 43,089 votes, of 60 percent, toBrown’s 19.3 percent, of 27 percent, with three candidatessplitting the remaining votes.

BHS student voters contributed 167 votes to Lott and 95 toBrown. In Wesson, Lott won in a landslide by a total of 136 to16.

For the Fourth District as a whole, the incumbent Shows totaled7,215 votes, or 57.7 percent, and Lampton got 4,119 votes, or 33.9percent, with two other candidates splitting the remainingvotes.

BHS favored Shows in a fairly close race 161-125. Wessonstudents liked Lampton, whose district included Copiah County untila few years ago, by a larger margin 110-48.