U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson handily won re-election to a fifth two-year term Tuesday night, piling up huge totals in her home county of Cape Girardeau and in many of the other 27 counties in the 8th District.

With 229 of 521 precincts reporting, the Cape Girardeau Republican Emerson had 97,109 votes or nearly 73 percent of the vote. Democrat Dean Henderson of Peace Valley was a distant second with 34,751 votes or 26 percent. Libertarian Stan Cuff of Poplar Bluff had 1,016 votes. Constitution Party candidate Leonard Davidson of Salem had 608 votes.

She garnered more than 26,000 votes in Cape Girardeau County en route to the election victory.

"I feel pretty good. I feel very honored," Emerson said from a GOP victory party at the Drury Lodge in Cape Girardeau.

Emerson, 54, said she has always tried to represent southern Missouri residents in a nonpartisan way and believes that resonates with voters.

"I think most people know I am socially conservative, but I also believe you have to be willing to compromise on some issues with regard to things like health care," she said.

She said her support of the war in Iraq was popular with many of the region's voters including families of National Guard troops serving in the conflict.

Emerson said in her next term she plans to work to help create a job-growth climate in her district which includes all of Southeast Missouri.

Emerson first won election to Congress in 1996, succeeding her late husband, Bill Emerson, to the 8th District seat.

Henderson, a 39-year-old Howell County farmer, said he was prompted to run because of what he saw as the growing corporate ownership of the federal government.

In contrast to Emerson's well-financed campaign, Henderson operated on a shoestring budget. He criss-crossed the expansive 28-county district to meet with voters.

Henderson ran on a four-point platform: opposition to open trade agreements, repeal of the Patriot Act, immediate end of the war in Iraq and universal health coverage.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123