SECTION A, PAGE 6 CONGRESS & GUBERNATORIAL RACES THE BLADE: TOLEDO, OHIO t WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2004 Voinovich coasts to 2nd Senate term HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES By CHRISTOPHER D. and mayor of Cleveland, who security and terrorism threats KIRKPATRICK has served in public offi ce for 38 U.S. SENATE, OHIO are critical issues . BLADE STAFF WRITER years and run 17 campaigns at Votes Percent Mr. Fingerhut said he was COLUMBUS — Oozing all levels of government. ✓ Voinovich* 2,800,373 64.6 proud of the people his cam- campaign money and name “ People have some knowl- Fingerhut 1,532,779 35.4 paign reached during the cam- recognition, Republican edge of who I am and paign against an “entrenched” U.S. Sen. George Voinov- what I’ve done,” Mr. *incumbent politician . Oxley Gillmor Kaptur Schwarz Dingell ich easily won a second, Voinovich said, explain- 81.4 percent of precincts reporting “I think we reached a lot of six-year term yesterday ing the landslide victory people, and I’m proud of that,” defeating Democratic in the close presidential he said. “I continue to be a also said high priorities would challenger Eric Fingerhut battleground state. member of the Ohio Senate, and be health-care tort reform and in a lopsided victory. Mr. Voinovich has fash- we have lots of budget work to Mr. Fingerhut, a three- enforcement of trade laws, Incumbents ioned himself a “defi cit do. I intend to be very active.” term state senator from hawk” who goes his own particularly currency issues and Voinovich patent infringement in China. Because of term limits, Mr. Shaker Heights and a for- way. Fingerhut is ineligible to run for mer U.S. House member, Mr. Voinovich ran an ad His fi rst order of busi- his state senate seat in the next walked across the state to raise campaign that depicted Mr. ness, he said, will be to tackle election. money for his campaign and to Fingerhut as someone not to be heading back balancing the federal budget, gain name recognition. But he which has grown at a record trusted with the nation’s secu- Contact Christopher D. Kirkpatrick could not fi nd traction against pace since fellow Republican rity. He defended the campaign at: the 68-year-old former governor President Bush took offi ce. He strategy as necessary because [email protected] or 419-724-6077. to Washington CONGRESS Kaptur, Oxley, Gillmor on top By STEVE EDER BLADE STAFF WRITER U.S. HOUSE OF Republicans keep Northwest Ohio voters over- REPRESENTATIVES whelmingly sent their con- gressmen back to Washington OHIO 9TH DISTRICT yesterday. Votes Percent control of Senate, U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Kaczala 47,062 34.2 Toledo) successfully fended ✓ off Lucas County Auditor Larry Kaptur* 90,489 65.8 Kaczala’s challenge in Ohio’s 9th fight to add seats Congressional District. OHIO 5TH DISTRICT A strong grass-roots campaign Votes Percent wasn’t enough for challenger ✓ ASSOCIATED PRESS supporters. That was enough to Gillmor* 189,678 67.2 Ben Konop (D., Ada) to unseat WASHINGTON — Republi- trounce Rep. Brad Carson and Weirauch 92,534 32.8 U.S. Rep. Mike Oxley (R., Find- cans renewed their grip on the keep the seat in GOP hands. lay) in Ohio’s 4th Congressional Senate last night and reached Republicans hold 51 seats in District. OHIO 4TH DISTRICT out for more, capturing Demo- the current Senate. Democrats Votes Percent cratic seats across the south. U.S. Rep. Paul Gillmor (R., have 48, along with the support ✓ Democratic leader Tom Das- of independent Sen. Jim Jeffords Old Fort) easily beat Democrat Oxley* 153,343 58.4 chle faced a strong challenge in of Vermont. A combination of Robin Weirauch in the race for Konop 109,120 41.6 5th Congressional Dis- South Dakota. factors — the Constitution, the Ohio’s trict Republican victories for calendar, and the presidential seat. MICHIGAN 15TH DISTRICT Democratic-held seats in North race among them — meant Miss Kaptur and Mr. Oxley Votes Percent were elected to their 12th terms Carolina, South Carolina, and that Republicans need 50 seats Reamer inc. Georgia assured the GOP of at to hold control and Democrats in Congress; Mr. Gillmor was ✓ Dingell* inc. least 50 seats in the Senate that must gain 51 to take it away. elected to his ninth term. REUTERS “I want to thank the people for convenes on Jan. 3. Most veteran lawmakers of MICHIGAN 7th DISTRICT Under complicated rules in both parties coasted to new Illinois Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Barack Obama their vote of confi dence,” Miss effect, that assured Republi- terms after campaigns against celebrates his victory with his wife, Michelle, and daughters Kaptur said. “I look forward to Votes Percent cans of control regardless of little-known and poorly funded Malia, right, and Sasha, in his Chicago headquarters. the next Congress as one that ✓ Schwarz inc. has major tasks before it to meet the outcome of the presidential opponents. Renier inc. election. But there were exceptions. the economic, military, and so- A victory by President Bush Mr. Daschle and former Rep. cial needs of our nation.” *incumbent Miss Kaptur also thanked her would give Vice President Dick John Thune were in an impossi- Incomplete results Cheney the ability to break ties. bly close race with votes count- opponent for a “vigorous race.” A victory by Sen. John Kerry ed in one-third of their sparsely Mr. Kaczala could not be would force him to resign his populated state — separated by reached for comment last night. voters. I want to work hard this seat in Congress and give the fewer than 1,000 votes. Theirs Miss Kaptur and Mr. Oxley, next term to justify their contin- GOP a 50-49 advantage until was a campaign on which the who have not faced serious chal- ued confi dence.” his successor was elected in late two men spent $26 million — an lengers in recent years, found Ms. Weirauch, who congratu- spring or summer. estimated $50 for each regis- tougher opponents this year. lated her opponent, said: “I re- Democratic State Sen. Barack tered voter. While they won easily, both were main committed to pursuing a Obama, a political star in the After a particularly caustic forced to spend more money change of representation for the making, easily captured a seat campaign, incumbent Re- than usual to keep their jobs. voters, and hope I can count on formerly in Republican hands publican Sen. Jim Bunning, Mr. Oxley is chairman of the their continued support.” in Illinois and will be the only 73, fell behind Democrat Dan powerful House Financial Ser- In Michigan, all the state’s black among 100 senators when Mongiardo early in the evening vices Committee. During the congressional incumbents were the new Congress convenes in in Kentucky before moving campaign, he faced criticism headed for re-election. The January. “I am fi red up,” he told ahead. With votes counted in from his opponent for taking only new addition to Michigan’s cheering supporters in Illinois. all but three of the state’s 3,482 donations from corporate inter- congressional delegation will be Elsewhere, Republicans were precincts, he led 50.5 to 49.5 ests and keeping a residence in John “Joe” Schwarz, a Republi- more likely to be celebrating. — a margin of fewer than 20,000 McLean, Va. can physician from Battle Creek. Rep. Johnny Isakson claimed votes out of 1.7 milliion cast. ASSOCIATED PRESS Mr. Oxley did not return sev- Dr. Schwarz, whose political Georgia for the Republicans, Mr. Obama, 43, had no dif- eral calls seeking comment last style is comparable to U.S. Sen. and Rep. Jim DeMint took South U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle (D., S.D.) greets a backer at Southeast night. John McCain (R., Ariz.), hand- fi culty dispatching Alan Keyes, Technical Center in a campaign swing in Sioux Falls, S.D. Carolina. Rep. Richard Burr a black conservative whose out- Despite losing the overall race, ily defeated Sharon Renier (D., soon followed suit in North Car- spoken views against abortion Mr. Konop said he was gratifi ed Munith) to claim Michigan’s 7th olina. In each case, Democratic and homosexuality earned the He triumphed over Rep. De- DeMint held off a challenge that he was able to win Allen Congressional District. The retirements induced ambitious disdain from some members of nise Majette in a campaign to from Inez Tenenbaum, state County, which Mr. Oxley won seat was vacated by the retire- young members of Congress to his own party. replace Sen. Zell Miller — a education superintendent. She with a 2-1 margin in 2002. “That ment of U.S. Rep. Nick Smith (R., give up safe House seats to risk Even so, the Democratic state Democrat who crossed party stumbled early, then found her really speaks to the grass-root Addison). a run for the Senate. legislator’s victory in a race to lines to deliver a memorably campaign legs with an attack on supporters we had here,” said In the neighboring 15th Dis- Ticket-splitting had been replace Republican Sen. Peter anti-Kerry speech at the Repub- Mr. DeMint’s support for a na- Mr. Konop, a lawyer. “The com- trict, which includes Monroe the key to the Democrats’ slim Fitzgerald capped a remark- lican National Convention. tional sales tax. He battled back munity stood up and said it is County, U.S. Rep. John Dingell chances all along. Of the nine able rise. He fi rst gained na- Rep. Richard Burr triumphed and won handily in a state Mr. time for a change.