Voters Narrow The Field In Arkansas, Oregon, Pennsylvania Primaries
WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, May 20) -- Voters in Arkansas, Pennsylvania and Oregon cast ballots in their state primaries Tuesday to nominate candidates for governor, the U.S. Senate and the House.
Pennyslvania Republican Rep. Bill Goodling fought back a tough primary challenge to win his party's nomination, and in suburban Philadelphia, incumbent Rep. Jon Fox easily won renomination against three challengers.
A hot race in Arkansas to choose the Democratic nominee for the Senate seat of retiring Democrat Dale Bumpers will go to a face-off as no candidate received 50 percent of the vote.
And in Oregon, the comeback attempt of disgraced former Republican Rep. Wes Cooley ended in a third-place defeat.
Pennsylvania
In south-central Pennsylvania, Goodling, 70, will proceed with his run for a 13th term in the House. Though he has pledged that this will be his last term, Goodling's length of service has attracted the attention of term-limit proponents who are working to see him defeated.
An organization called Americans for Limited Terms spent $300,000 on ads against the 24-year veteran of the House. And anti-abortion activist Gary Bauer has spent $25,000 on an anti-Goodling radio ad.
Despite the outside money, lawyer-activist Charlie Gerow lost to Goodling by more than a two-to-one margin. In November, Goodling will face Democrat Linda Ropp, a hairstylist, who ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination
In suburban Philadelphia, Fox easily won renomination, although
computer problems delayed the final tally. Fox now faces a re-match against Democrat Joe Hoeffel in the general election, who Fox beat in 1996 by only 84 votes.
According to the latest figures released by Montgomery County election officials, Fox won 49 percent of the vote with 98 percent of precincts reporting. His closest opponent was anti-abortion activist Michael McMonagle, who has 22 percent.
In addition to McMonagle, Fox was up against two other primary challengers: lawyer Jonathan Newman and ophthalmologist Melissa Brown. Both of these candidates dipped into their deep pockets during the primary race, as Newman used $600,000 of his personal money on TV and radio ads, and Brown spent $200,000.
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania's 1st District chose Philadelphia Democratic Party Chairman Bob Brady to replace Democratic Rep. Tom Foglietta, who resigned to become U.S. ambassador to Italy.
And the re-election bids of Republican Gov. Tom Ridge and three-term Republican Sen. Arlen Specter continue as both incumbents easily won their party's nominations.
Arkansas
Arkansas' hottest race was for the open seat of Democratic Sen. Dale Bumpers, who is retiring after 24 years in the Senate.
In a crowded field of candidates for the Democratic nomination, former Rep. Blanche Lambert Lincoln led the pack, winning 45 percent of the vote. But since she did not receive 50 percent, Lincoln will face her nearest opponent, state Attorney General Winston Bryant, in a June 9 runoff. Bryant had 27 percent.
Trailing behind were lawyer Nate Coulter, a 1993 candidate for lieutenant governor, and state Rep. Scott Ferguson.
Lincoln and Bryant quickly began their runoff campaigning. "It's a new day and new time for new Democratic leadership in the state," Lincoln said Wednesday morning from the Arkansas Capitol steps, reminding voters of Bryant's failed Senate bid in 1996 against Republican Sen. Tim Hutchinson. "I'm going to be working hard to make sure that the people, young and old, will be proud of this new leadership."
Bryant labeled Lincoln as a party insider bankrolled by special interests. "The people of Arkansas should decide who the Democratic nominee is, not the party bosses," Bryant said. "I have a record of representing all the people and taking on the special interests and she has received the majority of her funds from special interests and has served as a lobbyist."
The winner of the face-off will come up against Republican State Sen. Fay Boozman, who easily won the GOP nomination in Tuesday's primary. Boozman got an early boost by an endorsement from Hutchinson and his anti-abortion positioning also earned him the support of Christian conservatives. Boozman's only challenger was Little Rock Mayor Tom Prince.
In his re-election bid, Gov. Mike Huckabee soundly beat his primary opponent, retired Arkansas Air National Guard Col. Gene McVay.
Oregon
Cooley's longshot bid for another term in Congress died as he came in third for the Democratic nomination. The winner of the Republican nomination in Oregon's conservative 2nd district was Greg Walden, a broadcaster and former state senator who received 56 percent of the vote.
Cooley was forced to give up his seat amid allegations he lied about his war record in an Oregon voters pamphlet.
Walden was hand-picked by the seat's current occupant, retiring Rep. Bob Smith, who has represented the sprawling rural district for seven terms. Christian broadcaster Perry Atkinson, who came in second in the primary, jumped into the race, charging that Smith's conservative views are not "conservative enough."
In the U.S. Senate race, incumbent Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden, who narrowly won a special election two years ago, trounced his little-known challenger in the primary with 90 percent of the vote. Wyden is favored over his Republican opponent, state Sen. John Lim, who beat out two other contenders with 59 percent of the primary vote.
CNN's Brooks Jackson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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