The Clarion-Ledger, 3/31/8

Jim Nix hadn't heard of Republican candidate Gregg Harper before the race for the 3rd Congressional District cranked up in January.

But in a small Mississippi town such as Meadville, where the honor system is still used to pay for a weekly newspaper, word of mouth is a powerful way to score votes.

"Here it's about who you can trust and who you can't trust," said Nix, 73, a resident of the town of about 500. "I've been knowing some people a long time who know Gregg. They told me what a great guy he is."

Despite what some called a weakness in initial name recognition, Harper's "Faith Campaign," as supporters have nicknamed it, seems to be appealing to folks like Nix.

And among Mississippi's Republican elite - such as Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, former Sen. Trent Lott and others - Harper has built up credit he can cash in on by working on many of their campaigns.