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Two candidates claim Alabama gubernatorial race

Democrat Racine concedes Vermont race

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Democratic incumbent Don Siegelman and Republican challenger Bob Riley both insist they've won the election.

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(CNN) -- Both the Democratic and Republican candidates for governor of Alabama have declared victory in that race.

In a stalemate reminiscent of the 2000 presidential election, gubernatorial incumbent Don Siegelman and Republican challenger Bob Riley insist they've won by a tiny margin.

Siegelman is discussing upcoming programs for the state. Riley received a congratulatory phone call from President Bush.

It's the only remaining tossup in a series of races Tuesday in which Republicans and Democrats traded control of a number of governorships, with the GOP making strong gains in the South and the Democrats picking up states in the Midwest. (More on Alabama governor's race)

•Democrat Doug Racine conceded the Vermont governor's race Wednesday to Republican Jim Douglas, even though Douglas did not get enough votes to win the race under state law.

Douglas, Vermont's state treasurer, beat Racine by about 6,000 votes in Tuesday's elections. But he failed to get 50 percent of the total vote, and under Vermont's rules the election is to be turned over to the state legislature to pick the next governor in January. But Tom Hughes, Racine's campaign manager, said, "The person who won the most popular votes should be elected."

•The GOP scored one of the biggest upsets when former Georgia state Sen. Sonny Perdue defeated Democratic Gov. Roy Barnes. Perdue will be the state's first Republican governor since Reconstruction and only the second in Georgia history.

Barnes outspent Perdue by a wide margin and was expected to win re-election. He was one of only three Democratic governors running for re-election in states that President Bush carried in 2000. (Hot race in Georgia)

•In South Carolina, Republican Mark Sanford defeated Democratic Gov. Jim Hodges. (Hot race in South Carolina)

•Democrats regain control of the governor's mansion in Tennessee. Former Nashville Mayor Phil Bredesen defeated Republican congressman Van Hilleary. Bredesen will replace Republican Gov. Don Sundquist, whose popularity plunged last year after he pushed to enact a state income tax. (Hot race in Tennessee)

•In Maryland, Republican Bob Ehrlich upset Democratic Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. Ehrlich becomes the first member of his party to be elected governor in that state since 1966. (Hot race in Maryland)

Democratic gains

Democrats made headway in three Midwest states that will be battlegrounds in the 2004 presidential elections: Michigan, Illinois and Iowa.

•Michigan Democrat Jennifer Granholm defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Dick Posthumus to become the state's first-ever female governor. Granholm, the state's attorney general, will succeed Republican John Engler, who could not run because of term limits. (Hot race in Michigan)

•In Illinois, Democrat Rod Blagojevich defeated Jim Ryan, the Republican state attorney general, in that state's gubernatorial race. The winner there is to replace Republican Gov. George Ryan, who chose not to run for re-election. (Hot race in Illinois)

•Iowa Democratic Gov. Tom Vilsack won re-election over Republican Doug Gross. (Hot race in Iowa)

•Wisconsin Attorney General Jim Doyle, a Democrat, defeated Republican acting Gov. Scott McCallum. (Hot race in Wisconsin)

•Kansas Democrat Kathleen Sebelius defeated Republican state Treasurer Tim Shallenburger. (Hot race in Kansas)

•However, Republicans retained control in Ohio, where Gov. Bob Taft defeated Democrat Tim Hagan. (Hot race in Ohio)

Republican victories

Massachusetts Republican gubernatorial candidate Mitt Romney and his wife Ann leave Belmont Town Hall after voting.
Massachusetts Republican gubernatorial candidate Mitt Romney and his wife Ann leave Belmont Town Hall after voting.

Republicans also moved forward in the Northeast.

•In Massachusetts, Republican Mitt Romney, former head of the Salt Lake City Olympic Organizing Committee, defeated Democrat Shannon O'Brien. (Hot race in Massachusetts)

•Republican Gov. John Rowland of Connecticut defeated Democrat Bill Curry. It will be Rowland's third term. The race was a rematch between the two men. In 1994, Rowland beat Curry by three points.

•Republican businessman Craig Benson has won the New Hampshire governor's race, defeating Democrat Mark Fernald. The winner there is to succeed Democratic Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, who retired to make an unsuccessful run for the Senate. (Hot race in New Hampshire)

•Republican businessman Don Carcieri has defeated Democrat Myrth York in Rhode Island's governor's race. (Hot race in Rhode Island)

•Pennsylvania Democrat Ed Rendell defeated Republican Mike Fisher, the state's attorney general. (Hot race in Pennsylvania)

•In Maine, Rep. John Baldacci, a Democrat, defeated Republican Peter Cianchette. (Hot race in Maine)

•In Hawaii, Linda Lingle, the state's GOP chairwoman and former Maui mayor, has won Hawaii's gubernatorial race against Mazie Hirono, a former state representative. Lingle lost the 1998 race for governor by one percentage point. (Hot race in Hawaii)

White House interests

Florida Gov. Jeb Bush held off Democratic challenger Bill McBride.
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush held off Democratic challenger Bill McBride.

The GOP also won two key states with special significance to President Bush.

•In Florida, Gov. Jeb Bush held off a strong Democratic challenge and became the first Republican governor in the state's history to win re-election, defeating Tampa attorney Bill McBride. (Hot race in Florida)

President Bush raised more than $1.5 million for his younger brother and had visited the state 12 times since taking office.

•Texas Gov. Rick Perry – who succeeded Bush when he stepped down after winning the presidential election -- held off an aggressive and well-financed challenge by Democrat Tony Sanchez. (Hot race in Texas)

New York Gov. George Pataki won re-election over Democrat state Comptroller Carl McCall. Pataki had a double-digit lead over McCall in polls leading up to the vote. (Hot race in New York)

In California, Democratic Gov. Gray Davis won re-election, defeating Republican challenger Bill Simon. (Hot race in California)

Davis' popularity was damaged by his handling of the state's financial crisis, but he was able to hold off Simon, whose campaign stalled over questions about his personal finances.

•Sen. Frank Murkowski, a Republican, defeated Fran Ulmer, the Democratic lieutenant governor, in Alaska's gubernatorial race. Gov. Tony Knowles, a Democrat, couldn't seek re-election because of term limits.

•Dave Freudenthal, a Democrat and former U.S. attorney, became Wyoming's next governor, beating Eli Bebout, a former Republican state House speaker. Republican Gov. Jim Geringer could not seek re-election because of term limits. (Hot race in Wyoming)

•And Arkansas Republican incumbent Mike Huckabee prevailed over Jimmie Lou Fisher, the state treasurer. (Hot race in Arkansas)



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