(April 6, 2006)—Tom DeLay may have dropped out of his race for reelection, but his backers showed up Thursday to heckle Democrat Nick Lampson, who’s running for DeLay’s U.S. House seat.

The hecklers were encouraged to disrupt Lampson's news conference by DeLay's campaign staff via an e-mail advisory.

DeLay announced this week he’s dropping out of the race and that he’ll leave the House by mid-June.

The Associated Press reported the e-mail from DeLay campaign manager Chris Homan says, "Let's give Lampson a parting shot that wrecks his press conference."

Homan says he organized the protest through phone calls and e-mails.

It wasn't immediately clear whether DeLay sanctioned the demonstration.

Lampson's campaign manager says he thinks the protest was a form of intimidation.

About two dozen rowdy DeLay supporters drowned out Lampson's message by chanting "We love Tom. He's our man" and "Get out of Sugar Land."

DeLay is under indictment in Austin in a money laundering investigation.