NATCHEZ — Congressional candidate Gregg Harper stopped in Natchez Tuesday to receive endorsements from two small business associations.

The Mississippi Association of Realtors and the National Federation of Independent Business endorsed Harper, the Republican candidate for Mississippi’s Third Congressional District, at a press conference at Crye-Leik Stedman Realtors.

“Washington needs some serious help, and we need to send a serious person to do it,” Realtor Sue Stedman said.

Mississippi NFIB director Ron Aldridge said small business is the heart of the economy, and Harper would “take some good, old-fashioned Mississippi common sense to Washington.”

Harper received the endorsement from the NFIB because he understands the best way to help small business is to get big government off its back, Aldridge said.

“(Harper) wants to limit the number of regulations that come down on us,” Aldridge said. “This man gets it.”

It is important to receive the endorsement of small businesses, because they are where most new jobs are created, Harper said.

But the key to helping small businesses is for the nation to develop a sensible energy policy, which includes using both domestic oil exploration and exploring alternatives such as wind, solar and clean coal power, Harper said.

“I talked to small business owners this morning, and they said fuel prices go up and suddenly they’re operating on credit,” he said.

Limiting the size of the government and reducing the tax burden will also help small businesses, he said.

“Nobody talks about limited government anymore, but we are going to talk about that,” he said.

“Remember that tax rebate we got earlier this year where everyone got that little feel-good check, even people who hadn’t paid into the system? I would have voted against that, because if the government has enough money to give it away, maybe it should be paying things off.”

Harper also promised to work to bring more economic development to southwest Mississippi.

“We are committed to this region and doing what we need to do,” he said.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Builders and Contractors also endorsed Harper Tuesday, but representatives were not present at the conference.

Harper’s opponent in the Nov. 4 election is Joel L. Gill