The quirky side of the election

2006-11-08 08:13

Philadelphia - A Republican congressman who had an extramarital affair with a woman half his age lost his seat in a conservative northeastern Pennsylvania district.

Congressman Don Sherwood, 65, long-married and considered a family values conservative, seemingly had a lock on his seat until the 30-year-old woman sued him for $5.5m last year, charging that he physically abused her during a five-year affair.

Sherwood, who settled the suit for $500 000, admitted to the affair but denied harming the woman.

Democratic challenger Chris Carney hammered Sherwood in TV ads, telling voters that the congressman "went to Washington and didn't remember the values of this district".

Minneapolis - A state lawmaker became the first Muslim elected to congress and the first person of colour that Minnesotans have sent to Capitol Hill.

Democrat Keith Ellison, who is black, easily won a Minneapolis-area district that is the most liberal-leaning in the state.

On the campaign trail, Ellison, 43, talked little about his religious background, focusing instead on his call for an immediate US withdrawal from Iraq and his support for single-payer health care.

He broke from more conservative Muslims by favouring gay rights and abortion rights.

Durham, North Carolina - The district attorney battered by critics upset with his pursuit of rape charges against three Duke University lacrosse players held off a pair of challengers on Tuesday to win his first full term in office.

Mike Nifong, a Democrat appointed to the job last year, pulled in less than half the votes, but still had a healthy lead over his closest challenger. One of his challengers had said he would not serve if elected; the other was a write-in.

Birmingham, Alabama - A Libertarian Party write-in candidate for governor who had campaigned on her cleavage doesn't have to worry about choosing a neckline for the inaugural ball.

Loretta Nall conceded on Tuesday night that her low-budget campaign had no chance of beating Republican governor Bob Riley, who won re-election. Her write-in vote totals won't be counted before Wednesday.

Nall attracted the most attention when her campaign offered T-shirts and marijuana stash boxes adorned with a photo of her with a plunging neckline and the words: "More of these boobs." Below that were pictures of Riley and Democratic rival Lieutenant Governor Lucy Baxley and the words: "And less of these boobs."

But the 32-year-old from Alexander City, who wanted to legalise marijuana and pull Alabama National Guard troops from Iraq, remained upbeat and is talking about a run for congress in 2008.

Philadelphia - The good thing about losing an election is voters won't get a chance to say, "You're fired".

Raj Peter Bhakta, a former hopeful on Donald Trump's television show The Apprentice, lost his long-shot bid on Tuesday for a job as a Republican congressman.

Bhakta had sought to oust first-term Democratic representative Allyson Schwartz, two years after he occupied the posh Manhattan boardrooms of Trump's show in which eager young men and women competed for a job with the real-estate mogul. He was fired from the programme after a home renovation project went awry.

Austin, Texas - The steamy sex scenes that made for an unusually passionate comptroller's race didn't keep the woman who penned them from winning.

Susan Combs' Democratic opponent in the race for the state's top financial post had called her a hypocrite for championing abstinence education after writing a bodice-ripper titled A Perfect Match.

In the out-of-print 1990 novel, passion-charged scenes ensue when spy Ross Harding is assigned to protect government code-breaker Emily Brown after she intercepts a message that endangers her life.

Combs, the 61-year-old Republican agriculture commissioner who's been married for 31 years, laughed off the criticism on the way to beating Democrat Fred Head, 67.

Trenton, New Jersey - The Democrats said Sexton, but the voters, like the Republicans, said Saxton.

Republican US congressman Jim Saxton, an 11-term congressman in southern New Jersey, defeated Democratic political novice Rich Sexton. Republican officials had accused Democrats of purposely backing a challenger whose name was similar to the incumbent's, hoping to pick up support from confused voters. It's a charge Sexton has denied.

Like most incumbents, Saxton enjoyed large amounts of campaign cash and a district drawn favourably for him.

Columbia, South Carolina - South Carolina's top general was re-elected to a fourth term, defeating an Iraq war veteran who called the conflict a mistake.

The state has the only adjutant general whom voters elect. Democrat Glenn Lindman, a former army national guard first sergeant, gave up his military career in an effort to oust Republican Stan Spears.

Because South Carolinians historically re-elect incumbents, Lindman, 47, argued the state has "an adjutant general for life".

Spears, 69, who carries the rank of a two-star major general, has held the job for 12 years. Only 27 men have served as South Carolina's adjutant general since 1640.

- AP