House race a top prize as 8 states vote - Yahoo! News

House race a top prize as 8 states vote - Yahoo! News:

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.

Democrats have been encouraged by Busby's strong showing in the solidly Republican district and believe it could be a sign of potential trouble for Bush's Republicans.

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.

The winner will serve only to the end of Cunningham's term and, and there will be a Bilbray-Busby rematch in November.

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

INCUMBENTS WIN IN ALABAMA

In Alabama, Gov. Bob Riley easily vanquished a Republican primary challenge by former state chief justice Roy Moore, who had been removed from office in a dispute over a monument to the Ten Commandments.

In the Democratic primary for the right to face Riley, Lt. Gov. Lucy Baxley, whose campaign slogan was "We Love Lucy," beat former Gov. Don Siegelman, who spent election day at his corruption trial.

"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."

Moore, whose Christian conservative campaign never caught fire in Alabama, told supporters, "When it is in the hands of God, you never lose."

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

In Montana, state Senate President Jon Tester rolled to a surprisingly easy Democratic primary win over state Auditor John Morrison for the right to face embattled Republican Sen. Conrad Burns (news, bio, voting record) in November.

Burns, whose popularity has sagged after being drawn into a scandal involving disgraced Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff, beat back a challenge by state Sen. Bob Keenan in the Republican primary.

California State Treasurer Phil Angelides and state Controller Steve Westly were locked in a close Democratic primary battle for the right to challenge Republican Gov.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

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Arnold Schwarzenegger, who easily won renomination, in November.

In Iowa, Secretary of State Chet Culver won a three-way battle for the Democratic nomination to square off against Republican Rep. Jim Nussle (news, bio, voting record) 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 face Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey in November.