PRIMARY 2008: Kucinich winning challenge to Congressional seat in early results
Associated Press
COLUMBUS — Dennis Kucinich, the liberal Ohio politician who made two failed White House campaigns, fought Tuesday in the Democratic primary to keep his seat against the toughest, best-financed challenger in his 12-year congressional career.
Although the presidential primary commanded most of the nation’s attention, Kucinich’s race was the best known congressional contest on ballots in
Other races included three veterans of the
For years, the 61-year-old Kucinich has won re-election by margins of up to 75 percent in a reliably Democratic district.
But after sensing early that Joe Cimperman was a formidable opponent, Kucinich abandoned his presidential campaign on Jan. 25, months earlier in the race than he did in 2004, when he also was polling in low one-digit numbers.
Joe Cimperman, a Cleveland City Council member and former Kucinich admirer, raised nearly $500,000 and landed high-profile endorsements from the mayor and the city’s daily newspaper.
“Mr. Kucinich is not a congressman. He’s a showman,” said Cimperman, 37, who has belittled Kucinich’s
After leaving the White House race, Kucinich returned to his familiar fighting-for-you mantra to win renomination and landed a quick $700,000 in contributions.
“I’m not a patsy for business. I can’t be bought,” said Kucinich, an unrelenting opponent of the
With 3 percent of precincts reporting, Kucinich was ahead with 55 percent of the vote, compared with 29 percent for Cimperman, according to unofficial returns compiled by The Associated Press.
With three other challengers on the ballot, Kucinich was expected to benefit from a divided anti-incumbent vote. North Olmsted Mayor Thomas O’Grady, anti-war activist Rosemary Palmer and former Peace Corps volunteer Barbara Ferris all have campaigned on much smaller budgets.
Elsewhere in
Scott Radcliffe, who served two tours of duty as a platoon commander in
Democratic state Sen. John Boccieri, an Air Force reservist who served in
Another state senator and
In
Four Democrats were competing for the chance to take on Republican incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, who easily defeated consultant Larry Kilgore and already has $7 million for the fall campaign.
State Rep. Rick Noriega of Houston, an Army National Guard lieutenant colonel who served in Afghanistan, was the best known and best funded Democrat, though he has less than $1 million with which to campaign against Cornyn.
In
His heir apparent, assistant prosecutor Kelley Siegler, was expected to win the GOP primary, but the scandal has damaged her campaign. The winner will face Democratic former Houston Police Chief C.O. Bradford.
In
The symbolic article seeks to have Bush and Cheney arrested if they visit
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Filed by Associated Press March 4th, 2008 in Top Stories.
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