LOUISVILLE - Bridges, bachelorhood and broadcasting might seem an odd menu of issues to determine the outcome of a congressional campaign.

        Yet the 3rd District of Kentucky presents no ordinary lineup of candidates.

Northup

Conway

        The incumbent, Republican Anne Northup, keeps winning a district that had been in Democratic hands for 26 years. She has become a darling of the GOP in Washington, which rewarded her with a prized seat on the Appropriations Committee.

        Democratic challenger Jack Conway, at 33, spent time in Gov. Paul Patton's cabinet and has practiced law. But his good looks and moderate politics makes him an up-and-comer for a Democratic Party, which has slowly seen its dominance fade.

        The race may hinge on whether Democratic voters - who outnumber registered Republicans nearly 2-to-1 in a district that includes most of Jefferson County - can be comfortable voting for Mr. Conway's light resume.

        In her three consecutive congressional wins, Ms. Northup has never taken more than 53 percent of the vote. Mr. Conway — who has strong backing from labor unions, teachers and Mr. Patton — is hoping for a solid Democratic turnout.

        Mr. Conway says he wants to run a unifying campaign in a district that went to Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election.

        “We've got a message for swing voters, pro-business Democrats and soccer moms,” he said.

        Ms. Northup said Mr. Conway's resume is a serious issue.

        “What Jack needs is more experience,” she said. “He's never had a real job.”

        Mr. Conway's inexperience has been noted in publications that closely watch the nation's congressional races. Still, Roll Call's Stuart Rothenberg said in a column earlier this year that he believes Mr. Conway has a chance.

        Ms. Northup, a mother of six, pointed out in an interview that Mr. Conway's bachelor status limits his ability to understand voters.

        “There's something about getting married,” she said. “You have a responsibility to somebody else.”

        Ms. Northup's TV ads so far have shown her with groups of children and snapshots of her own extended family.

        Mr. Conway said that while he was in Mr. Patton's cabinet, he carried responsibilities similar to a member of Congress. Furthermore, being childless doesn't take away from anyone's ability to be a leader, he said.

        “I think it's a low blow on her part,” Mr. Conway said while on a visit to Central High School in western Louisville in late August.

        He noted that President Bush had a girlfriend - as Mr. Conway does - when he was considering his 1978 congressional run. Mr. Bush married his wife, Laura, in November 1977.

        “I assume Miss Northup accepts (Mr. Bush's) family values,” he said. Laura Bush “went on to become his wife and his first lady, and I hope I'm so lucky.”

        For all the acrimony that can be expected to come from the campaigns, Ms. Northup and Mr. Conway have plenty in common.

        Both were born and raised Catholic in Louisville, and both excelled in their private school educations. Both belong to the same Catholic parish, Holy Spirit, and both live in historic neighborhoods in eastern Louisville.

        Mr. Conway, who has a law degree from George Washington University, most recently wrote policy as an aide in Mr. Patton's cabinet. Ms. Northup was a teacher and spent time in the state House of Representatives before her election to Congress.

        Much talk in the campaign so far has focused on the $2 billion construction of two new Ohio River bridges in Jefferson County.

        Both candidates say they want two bridges built - one in downtown Louisville and one on the east end - but their time frames differ. Ms. Northup says she wants construction on both bridges to begin simultaneously, while Mr. Conway favors building the downtown bridge first.

        “I don't think the money is coming all at once,” Mr. Conway said, stressing the need to relieve congestion downtown first.

        Ms. Northup says her opponent is secretly opposed to the east end bridge, which would cut a path near some of Jefferson County's most affluent suburbs.

        Mr. Conway denies this, saying he has told opponents of the east end bridge - some of them his potential voters - that he wants the bridge to be built.

        Still, the race may come down to who rules the airwaves.

        Much of the campaign so far has consisted of TV ads, which could get costly in a market with four major television stations. Mr. Conway began his TV ad campaign July 23, and Ms. Northup's began about three weeks later.

        Money hasn't ever really been a problem for Ms. Northup, one of Congress' most effective fund-raisers. She spent about $2.7 million on the 2000 race, and she had $1.5 million on hand according to a July 15 filing with the Federal Election Commission. That nearly doubled Mr. Conway's $823,000.

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