Republicans retain House seat in California

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A former Republican congressman won
a bitter U.S. House of Representatives race in California on
Tuesday, giving President George W. Bush’s Republican Party its
first dose of good political news in months.

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
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 on Tuesday 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 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.

INCUMBENT WINS IN ALABAMA

An improving economy and his leadership after Hurricane
Katrina battered Alabama aided Riley’s win over Moore, a hero
to Christian conservatives after he was removed from the state
Supreme Court in a dispute over a Ten Commandments monument.
Moore’s campaign never got off the ground.

“We have almost transformed Alabama in the last four
years,” Riley told cheering supporters. “Our economy is as
strong as any, our test scores are up, we have a surplus and
gave the first tax cut in 70 years.”

Alabama’s Democratic Lt. Gov. Lucy Baxley, whose campaign
slogan was “We Love Lucy,” beat former Gov. Don Siegelman, who
spent election day at his corruption trial, for the right to
face Riley.

In Montana, state Senate President Jon Tester rolled to a
surprisingly easy Democratic primary win over state Auditor
John Morrison for the nomination to battle Burns in November.

Burns, who became a prime Democratic target as his
popularity fell after being drawn into a scandal involving
disgraced Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff, easily beat
Keenan.

California State Treasurer Phil Angelides narrowly defeated
state Controller Steve Westly in a Democratic primary fight for
the chance to challenge Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger,
who easily won renomination.

Former Gov. Jerry Brown won the Democratic nomination for
California attorney general.

In Iowa, Secretary of State Chet Culver won a three-way
battle for the Democratic nomination to face Republican Rep.
Jim Nussle for governor in November. The winner will succeed
retiring Democratic Gov. Tom Vilsack, who is pondering a run
for the White House.

Tom Kean Jr., son of a popular former governor, won the
Republican nomination to challenge Democratic Sen. Robert
Menendez of New Jersey in November.

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