SOUTHERN ILLINOIS VOTERS FACE TWO CONGRESSIONAL RACES

BELLEVILLE, Ill. -- Jerry F. Costello is seeking his sixth term as congressman in the 12th Congressional District, which includes parts of Union, Alexander and Pulaski counties in extreme Southern Illinois.

Costello, a Democrat of Belleville, will face Republican William Melvin Price in Tuesday's election.

Costello was elected in 1988 to fill the unexpired term of U.S. Rep. Mel Price, who had served in the House for more than four decades. Mel Price's son, William M. Price, switched politics within the last two years, and will face Costello.

Costello and Price, a surgeon who gave up his private practice in 1997 to campaign full time, both support a Southern Illinois project that would provide a four-lane highway between Carbondale and the metro E. St. Louis area.

Before becoming a U.S. representative, Costello worked in a number of law enforcement positions, including being a court bailiff, deputy sheriff and state's attorney investigator.

Price, who received undergraduate and medical degrees from St. Louis University, served his surgical residency at George Washington University and was chief of sports medicine at the U.S. Air Force Academy before going into private practice in 1988.

Another U.S. House race in Southern Illinois, in the 19th District, pits Democrat David Phelps against Republican Brent Winters.

One will succeed Glenn Poshard as the district representative. Poshard didn't opt for re-election, running instead for Illinois governor.

Phelps is an Illinois state representative from Eldorado, but some people in the large district -- it covers 687 precincts in 27 counties, including parts of Pulaski, Williamson, and Massac -- may not be familiar with Phelps' name, despite his role as chairman of the state House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee.

Phelps easily won his primary earlier this year, collecting 83 percent of the Democratic support.

Phelps represented the 118th Illinois House District seven terms since 1985. He is a graduate of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and previously taught school. He is a professional gospel singer.

Winters, who lives in Charleston, is well known from his previous campaigns. During the primary, he collected 56 percent of the Republican vote to defeat two other candidates.

Winters, an attorney, is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University and Biola Unviersity, with a law degree form the University of Missouri-Columbia.

He has been a candidate against Poshard the past three elections and has name recognition throughout the district. He says he believes in reducing education bureaucracy, cutting taxes and rolling back regulations that hold back farmers and hinder business development.

Phelps and Winters have been trying to appeal to the rural conservatives who comprise most of the 19th District's population. Despite its size and wealth of agricultural land and natural resources such as coal and oil, the district suffers from high unemployment.

The district's northern end is thick with agribusiness concerns, while the southern end is dominated by coal, small farms and the businesses that rely on those industries.

The candidates have largely avoided negative campaigning.

Illinois 12th and 19th Congressional District Candidates

12th Congressional District

Name: Jerry F. Costello

Party affiliation: Democrat

Age: 47

Residence: Belleville

Education: Graduate of Maryville University, with bachelor's degree.

Work history: Worked in various law enforcement positions from 1970 to 1974, including St. Clair County court bailiff, deputy sheriff, and state's attorney investigator. Served as director of court services for 20th Judicial Circuit and was St. Clair County Board chairman from 1980 to 1988.

Occupation: U.S. representative since 1988.

Family: Married to Georgia, parents of three children.

Name: William M. Price

Party affiliation: Republican

Age: 45

Education: Undergraduate and medical degrees from St. Louis University.

Work history: Surgical internship, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas; surgical residency, George Washington University; chief of sports medicine and orthopedic surgery, U.S. Air Force Academy.

Occupation: Private surgical practice since 1988. Closed practice in 1997 to campaign full time.

Family: Married to Joanie, parents of three children.

19th Congressional District

Name: Brent Winters

Party affiliation: Republican

Age: 44.

Residence: Charleston, Ill.

Education: BS in geology, Eastern Illinois, 1981; master's of theology, Biola University, 1987; law degree, University of Missouri-Columbia, 1993.

Work history: U.S. Navy air gunner, 1975-1979, U.S. Navy reserve diver, 1981-1985; U.S. Army reserve chaplain, 1992-1996. Has also worked as a hog producer, geologist and mine operator.

Occupation: Attorney specializing in mining law and trusts.

Family: Married 21 years to the former Susan K. Armstrong. Children, Caleb, 16; Jeremiah, 14; Casey, 12; Jenny, 10; Christy, 7; Joy, 4; Clark, 1.

Name: David D. Phelps

Party affiliation: Democrat

Age: 51.

Residence: Eldorado, Ill.

Education: Bachelor's degree in social studies, Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, 1969.

Work history: School teacher, businessman, professional gospel singer and songwriter. Saline County clerk and seven-term Illinois state representative.

Occupation: State representative, chairman of the state House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee.

Family: Married to Leslie. Three grown daughters, Brooke, Gretchen and Natalie and a 16-year-old son, Luke.