He will succeed Republican Rep. Mike Parker, who is retiring. The district was considered one of the Democrats' best opportunities to pick up a seat in the South, in part because its voting population is 41 percent black. Shows, who cultivated a conservative, good 'ol boy persona and talked about his working-class roots, was seen as drawing support both from black voters and from conservative white voters outside of Jackson. Hosemann boasted a financial advantage and ran early TV ads. His party label and fallout from the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal were looked on as boosting his chances, too.
Shows opposes abortion rights and most gun restrictions.
He talked about preserving Social Security and raising the minimum wage, and said he would oppose future trade agreements that might hurt Mississippi's textiles and other industries. Hosemann locked up his party's nomination in late June, after a bitter runoff. The Republican spoke in favor of allowing Social Security recipients to invest their benefits in the stock market, which Shows criticized as too risky. Congressional Quarterly's Geoff Earle contributed to this report. Inc. All Rights Reserved.