Lincoln County voters turned out in high numbers Tuesday forRepublican presidential hopeful George W. Bush and Senate MajorityLeader Trent Lott, but local support for GOP congressionalcandidate Dunn Lampton was considered less than stellar.

Lampton, seeking the Fourth District U.S. Representative’s seat,carried Lincoln County with 7,401 votes, about 54 percent, butfirst-term incumbent Democrat Ronnie Shows tallied 6,133 votes,about 45 percent. One local GOP stalwart described the countyshowing for Lampton, the district attorney for Lincoln, Pike andWalthall counties, as “disappointing.”

“We were hopeful Dunn Lampton would get a heavier vote,” saidJimmie Moreton, who listened to returns at the government complexfor most of the night Tuesday.

Across the Fourth District, Shows easily defeated Lampton by amargin of about 58 percent to 40 percent.

In local level results of statewide races, Bush totaled morethan 65 percent of the Lincoln County vote for president andincumbent Sen. Trent Lott tallied almost 72 percent in his race.Moreton saw that as the night’s good news.

“We were real pleased with turnout,” Moreton said.

Earlier in the night, Lincoln County Republican ExecutiveCommittee Chairman Chuck Nelms predicted a strong showing for Bushbased on the day’s turnout.

“The precincts in which he does well voted very heavily today,”Nelms said before going to Jackson for some party functionsthere.

Nelms mentioned Halbert Heights, City Hall, Ole Brook and, to alesser extent, Lipsey as Republican strongholds in the county.

Combined, those four precincts contributed 1,891 votes to Bush’scountywide total of 8,540, or 65.68 percent. Vice President Al Gorereceived 4,358 Lincoln County votes, or 33.5 percent of the overalltotal.

In the senate race, Lott cruised to an early county victory,much like he did in the rest of the state. In the county, Lottgarnered 9,775 votes, or 71.7 percent, to 3,614 votes, or 26.5percent, for Democratic challenger Troy Brown Sr., of IttaBena.