Once carved into wedges of three congressional districts that diluted the city's impact in any race, Columbus now finds its voters divided among only two districts.

The two seats in the U.S. House of Representatives represent a band of Georgia stretching from Atlanta to the Florida line, composed of urban and rural interests that meet in the middle of Muscogee County.

MikeMcGraw has had enough -- enough of Iraq, high gas prices, the government not enforcing existing laws. Instead of just complaining about it, he's decided to run for Georgia's District 3 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"If nobody else ran, we'd send a message to Washington that we're 100 percent satisfied with our current representative," McGraw said. "Someone had to do it."

The district McGraw seeks reaches from Muscogee County up to the Atlanta area and includes counties as far east as Lamar and Henry and as far north as Carroll.

McGraw, a Democrat, said he is tired of what he terms the rubberstamping of administration legislation. If elected, he said he will consider each issue and not merely pull out the party stamp.

McGraw urges voters happy with the current price of gas, who believe the country is safer, who say job futures look good and who think the border is more secure to re-elect his opponent. He asks those who don't feel that way to look beyond party labels and elect him to office.

McGraw sees a lack of leadership and management as problems in the nation's capital. He wants forces fighting in Iraq to have the necessary equipment, instead of an absence of proper armor and no exit strategy. Concerning oil prices, McGraw wants the nation to get away from its dependence on foreign oil.

"Where are we going to be in 20, 30 years if we do not change our course?" he said. "It's going to take more than a you're-with-me-or-against-me approach."

LYNN WESTMORELAND With 14 years in the Georgia General Assembly and two in Congress, incumbent U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland believes he has what it takes to represent District 3.

"I enjoy public service," said the Republican who has served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives. "I think there are some issues I've gained some expertise in over the last 14 years."

During his political tenure, Westmoreland said he's studied the health care crisis, methods of helping small businesses provide health insurance, and how businesses can keep employee pensions secure. During the past two years in Washington, he's learned about the war on terror and the obstacles the military faces.

"When I was elected in '92, I told the people I would support lower taxes, more personal responsibility, strong families," Westmoreland said. "Look at my record."

Westmoreland said he has stuck to those issues during his time in public service. He said he hasn't introduced any legislation to expand the government, and he supports President Bush's permanent tax cuts. Concerning personal responsibility, Westmoreland said the government can't continue to support programs such as Medicare and Medicaid at their current levels.

Strong families are one of Westmoreland's chief concerns. He believes the country's educational system must teach that the family is a unit that must remain strong, and youths must learn what it's like to be a parent.

His ability as a problem solver is a strength Westmoreland said makes him a strong congressman. His experience in construction has taught him to get people to work together and understand different sides of issues.

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