Third District U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper emphasized the importanceof next Tuesday’s election Monday evening during a stop inBrookhaven.

“Nov. 2 will be the most important election in my adult life,”Harper told a receptive crowd at the Lincoln Civic Center.

Harper hit the campaign trail hard Monday, stopping in Liberty,Natchez, Meadville and in Brookhaven to formally ask SouthwestMississippians for their vote next Tuesday.

“I need your help,” said Harper, who faces Democrat Joel Gilland Reform Party candidate Tracella O’Hara Hill.

While Harper discussed the current state of affairs inWashington D.C., Speaker of the House of Representatives NancyPelosi, the need for Republicans to regain control of the house andthe necessity of a budget, voter participation was one major pointof concern

“I wanted to ask people for their votes next week,” said Harper,who is expected to easily be re-elected. “We’re not going to takeanything for granted.”

Another key issue for Harper was sharing with people threethings that he thought Republicans needed to do in order to betterthe current state of affairs.

“I wanted to share some practical steps in taking our countryback,” Harper said.

Those “practical steps” included repealing “Obamacare,” freezingtax rates for all taxpayers and making those rates permanent, andreducing federal spending to pre-stimulus and pre-bailoutlevels.

In addition to his speech, Harper took questions from theaudience that ranged from boarder control to states’ rights.

“We have got to get back to the things we know are important,”Harper said.

He relayed to the audience a story that involved his helping ingetting the words “In God We Trust” etched on to a wall of avisitors center in D.C.

“Things are going to get better Nov. 3,” Harper said.

Monday’s event was sponsored by the Southwest Mississippi TeaParty.

SWMTP Co-founder Sharon Honea said the organization is 7-monthsold and is comprised of 600 people from Lawrence, Walthall,Lincoln, Pike, Franklin and Amite counties. It is one of 10 membergroups of the Mississippi Tea Party.

“I see the new role (of the Tea Party) is to remind (officials)that the people that work and drive the economy are payingattention,” Honea said.