Republicans keep House seat in California

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A former Republican congressman on
Tuesday won a bitter U.S. House of Representatives race in
California that was viewed as a possible early test of voter
sentiment ahead of November’s midterm elections.

On a day when eight states held primaries, Republican Brian
Bilbray narrowly beat back a challenge by Democrat Francine
Busby in a conservative district north of San Diego. The two
were vying to replace Randy Cunningham, a former Republican
congressman who was imprisoned for taking bribes.

The race had been watched closely for clues about whether
President George W. Bush’s dismal approval ratings and issues
like corruption and immigration were taking a toll on
Republicans five months before elections that will decide
control of Congress.

Alabama, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico
and South Dakota also held primaries to select candidates for
November, when all 435 seats in the House, 33 Senate seats and
36 governorships will be up for grabs.

Two high-profile Republican incumbents turned aside primary
challenges that fizzled, with Alabama Gov. Bob Riley beating
former state chief justice Roy Moore and Montana Sen. Conrad
Burns defeating state Sen. Bob Keenan.

Alabama voters also gave overwhelming approval to a state
constitutional ban on gay marriage.

In the special election to replace Cunningham, Democrats
hoped Busby’s strong showing in the solidly Republican district
could be a sign of potential trouble for Bush’s Republicans in
November.

Democrats need to pick up 15 House seats and six Senate
seats to regain control in each chamber, giving them the power
to set the legislative agenda and more effectively challenge
Bush.

Both parties poured millions of dollars into what became a
rough campaign, with the candidates battling over immigration
and Busby hammering Bilbray, a former congressman, for his work
as a lobbyist.

Bilbray will serve only to the end of Cunningham’s term and
will have to face Busby again in November.

(Additional reporting by Marty Graham in San Diego and
Verna Gates in Birmingham, Alabama)