If one listens to political pundits and talk on the street, the April 5 Republican runoff between state Sen. Steve Scalise, and state Rep. Tim Burns for the 1st Congressional District seat is turning into a battle between the Northshore and the Southshore.

However, neither candidate feels that way, and they are looking at the entire district, not just the areas they live in. Scalise is a resident of Jefferson Parish, and Burns lives in Mandeville. But in the March 8 primary, both candidates did well on both sides of Lake Pontchartrain.

Front-runner Scalise garnered 48 percent of the vote, and Burns came in second with 28 percent. Despite the 20-point difference, Burns sees his success in the race as a sign voters want a change. "When I first entered the race, I was polling in single digits," Burns said. "Now, I have momentum, and it feels great."

Scalise said it is important the race concentrate on the entire 1st Congressional District, and not just one area.

"People don't want a regional representative, they want someone who can be effective in Congress," Scalise said. "Creating regional divides will only harm the district as a whole."

For both candidates, representing this area in Congress means one thing - recovery and flood protection after Hurricane Katrina. They both want to take the Federal Emergency Management Agency out of the Department of Homeland Security and return the agency to its former position on the Cabinet.

They are both eager to try and get the federal government to appropriate more funds for levee construction and coastal restoration.

Burns said he wants to concentrate on increased growth and improving the infrastructure in St. Tammany Parish.

Both candidates are conservative, and they see election to Congress as a way to change things for the better.

Burns said the most important thing he can do is "restore financial sanity" to the federal budget.

As a tax attorney and CPA, Burns feels he is the right person to do that.

"The federal government is going in the wrong direction," Burns said. "Government spending is out of control. We have to rein in spending."

Scalise feels the same way and said the economy can be brought back on track if President Bush's tax cuts are made permanent. Burns agreed.

"It's not a tax problem, it's a spending problem," Burns said.

Scalise's mantra during the campaign has been to bring conservative values back to the Congress.

"The people have shown they want conservative values," Scalise said. "I'll be there to take on the liberals and rebuild Louisiana seniority in the House."

Both candidates are very optimistic about their chances on April 5 because of the support they have gained on both sides of the lake.

"I've gotten a great response in the district," Scalise said.

There is a wild card that may change the outcome of the runoff. Former Congressional candidate Slidell Mayor Ben Morris came in third with a commendable 21 percent of the vote. Morris has kept his cards close to the chest and said he has not decided who he will endorse, but the 7,388 people who voted for Morris could make a difference in the election.

Whoever wins the April 5 runoff will face Democrat Gilda Reed in the May 3 election. Reed, a resident of Jefferson Parish, won the Democratic primary with almost 70 percent of the vote.