CARTERVILLE, Ill. - U.S. Rep. Glenn Poshard says the March primary race in the new 19th Congressional District against fellow Democrat Terry Bruce of Olney, Ill., will be a "tough, uphill battle."

The veteran Illinois congressmen are pitted against each other because of a new congressional map for the state that reduces from 22 to 20 the number of people representing the Land of Lincoln in the U.S. House.

Bruce, first elected in 1984, currently represents the old 19th District, while Poshard, elected in 1988, represents the now defunct 21st, which left Poshard a congressman without a district.

When the 21st was eliminated, it divided Poshard's districts three ways, and left the Carterville Democrat two choices if he was to stay in politics a run against Bruce in the 19th District, or a run against Jerry Costello in the 12th District.

Poshard opted for the 19th.

"We weighed a lot of factors in selecting the 19th," said Poshard. "We talked with party members, friends and family. In the end we felt this afforded us the best opportunity."

The 19th includes about 30 percent of the voters who helped elect Poshard his previous two terms, "but it also includes my native county," said Poshard, who was born and raised in White County and graduated from Carmi High School.

"My mother still lives in White County," he added.

Poshard has been spending time in other areas of the new 19th during the past few days.

"There are 26 counties in the district," said Poshard. "We feel several issues will be discussed during the primary, highlight by national health care."

Poshard, whose Carterville home is in the 12th District, would have to move if he is elected in the 19th.

"My home is about a mile out of the new 19th District," he said.

Poshard and Bruce are both former state legislators.

Bruce, an Olney native, was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1984 after serving 14 years in the Illinois State Senate. Bruce graduated from University of Illinois Law School in 1969, and won a seat in the senate in 1970.

"I was really surprised that Poshard decided to run," said Bruce. "There was some talk about him taking the chancellor's position at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale."

Bruce expressed disappointment that Poshard "has decided to divide the Democratic Party." He said last week that it was too early in the campaign to see many differences between himself and Poshard.

"We have both served in the state senate, and both are serving in Congress. There are a lot of similarities. Glenn Poshard is well liked in his area, and I am well-liked in my district."

Bruce said he had participated in 99 percent of all congressional votes during his time in Congress.

Bruce, like Poshard, feels that health care, energy use, foreign trade, agriculture, and the U.S. budget are among the issues to be discussed.

"We'll bring all the issues to the public during the primary," said Bruce.

Meanwhile, the National Democratic Party is staying out of the 19th District race.

The two congressmen took hits at each other recently.

Bruce issued a news release about a national study that ranked Poshard as a high spender on legislation, and Poshard said a study on franking showed that Bruce spent $75,000 on mail during the first half of this year, while he (Poshard) spent only $9,000 during that time.

Both studies were conducted by the same group, the Washington-based National Taxpayers Union, a non-partisan, non-profit group against government spending.

Bruce says the figures on his use of the franking privilege are inaccurate, and Poshard said the study distorts his spending record.

The legislative study lists Poshard as supporting bills that would cost nearly $282 billion and Bruce as supporting bills totaling only $9.7 billion in new expenditures.

Poshard defends his actions by noting that everyone who supported the Universal Health Care Act is charged with the $253 billion package.

"One bill should not be allowed to portray me as a big spender," said Poshard. "The health bill will save lives, and save money in the long run."

A Bruce spokesman said Bruce was double-billed by the post office, and that a correction had not been made at the time the franking report was issued.