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Republicans keep House seat in California

Posted on: Wednesday, 7 June 2006, 04:28 CDT

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)

Source: REUTERS

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