With the primaries 12 days behind them, Republican Michael Burgess and Democrat Neil Durrance are gearing up for a battle for the District 26 congressional seat.

The incumbent Burgess, R-Lewisville, wants to continue the work he has done since he was elected to U.S. Congress in 2002.

Burgess

Durrance, 53, of Denton, said it is time for new blood and new representation for the district from someone who will listen to the people. He ran unopposed in the March 2 primary.

“We have suffered for the last eight to 10 years with entrenched politicians who are more interested in keeping their jobs, grabbing headlines and scoring political points than doing the work of the people,” Durrance said. “It’s time to return government to the people.”

A former Denton City Council member and practicing lawyer for 28 years, Durrance said he has plenty of experience working out problems.

Durrance

“I have sat across the table from people whom I did not care for and I did not like, but I knew we had to get agreements and we should move cases forward and people’s business forward,” he said.

Burgess, 59, says he’s been pretty busy moving people’s business forward, too.

On March 2, the same day he soundly defeated James Herford in the Republican primary, Burgess met with local politicians early in the day, voted in Lewisville that afternoon and boarded a plane to Washington that night to get back to work.

While health care reform is the current hot issue, Burgess expects jobs and the economy to be back in focus around the November general election.

“What role the federal government is supposed to play [and] improving the atmosphere for job creation is where a lot of that discussion will occur,” Burgess said.

As for where he stands on issues, Burgess said his voting record for the past 7 1/2 years is available if people are willing to look for it.

“I voted against stimulus packages in the past and will likely do so in the future,” he said.

Burgess criticized the hostile climate around small businesses, which he said discourages job creation and business development.

“I also know from years of business for myself, it is hard to hold back the American economy, even in the worst environment the government can provide,” he said. “People willing to succeed can do that, but we can make it hard by what we do in Washington.”

Durrance called Burgess’ voting record “an indictment of neglect to the middle class while pandering to special interests and political extremism.”

He added that those in a position of leadership, including politicians, need to do more than just say no to ideas and change.

On each of what Durrance sees as the five major issues to the campaign — jobs and the economy; health care reform; transportation; education; and environment/energy — he said he has proposed numerous innovative reforms he believes must be taken.

Even with everything he’d like to see accomplished if elected, Durrance said he would not see his seat as a career. He said he’d return to his law practice once his job in Congress was done. He theorized that the Founding Fathers did not mean for political roles to become careers or that they needed free health care and retirement funds.

Burgess, who was an obstetrician before he ran for Congress, also said he does not consider politics a career.

“I already had a career. It’s not like I would have time left for some lofty political goal,” Burgess said. “If I could simply represent my district, that would be my goal, not to run for a high office some day.”

Durrance has had several speaking engagements for various community organizations, clubs and local businesses, and has been encouraged by responses he has received.

“People are tired of labels. They want to see someone who will do something not because they are left or right or liberal or conservative, but because they know it’s the right thing to do,” he said.

For more information about Durrance, visit www.durranceforcongress.com. For more information about Burgess, visit www.burgessforcongress.com.

BJ LEWIS can be reached at 940-566-6875. His e-mail address is blewis@dentonrc.com.