BUSH WINS; ELECTORAL COLLEGE GOES TO BUSH

The major TV networks reported in the wee hours today that Republican George W. Bush has won Florida and, with it, the election. Bush had been in a dead heat with Democrat Al Gore, trading electoral leads several times during the night. Florida's 25 electoral votes would push Bush over the 270 votes he needed to win the election.

Bush got strong backing Tuesday from voters who sought honesty and strong leadership in a candidate, exit polls say, while Gore drew solid support from those who wanted experience and understanding of complex issues.

The voters' split priorities reflected the tug-of-war between personality and experience that has been at the core of this campaign, exit surveys suggested.

Voters were interviewed as they left the polls by Voter News Service, a consortium of The AP and television networks. The poll results were based on interviews with 6,944 voters after they voted Tuesday and have an error margin of plus or minus 1.5 percentage points.

Gore led among women, blacks and Hispanics; Bush among men and whites. Bush led among parents; Gore among non-parents, a larger group. The two candidates were matched fairly evenly among most age groups. Gore led among those who made $30,000 or less while Bush led among those who made $75,000 or more. They were evenly divided among middle-income voters. Gore led among those who thought issues were most important while Bush led among those who valued personal qualities.

They both had strong support from their party base and were splitting independents about evenly in preliminary poll results. Gore was getting four of five Clinton supporters from 1996 and Bush was getting nine of 10 supporters of Bob Dole. Ross Perot's voters from 1996 tilted toward Bush.

In Rogers Park, on the north side of Chicago, dentist John Scovic said integrity was the issue that led him to vote for Bush.

"I just think George Bush has more leadership skills and a more principled, centered-type personality," Scovic said.

Gore supporter Sharon Gordon, a homemaker from Dimondale, Mich., came in to vote even though she had the flu.

"I don't think Bush is very bright. I wasn't happy with his dad. I think we'll get the same thing," she said. "I got a little sick of this bringing up morality." She praised Gore as "a good family man." The most important issue for voters was the economy, and those who picked that issue backed Gore heavily. Taxes were another important issue and that group backed Bush by an overwhelming margin.

Bush was backed by those who thought world affairs was the top issue, while Gore was backed by those who thought health care and prescription drugs were top issues.

Both candidates felt the effect of President Clinton in this election.

Two-thirds of voters felt the president was at least somewhat responsible for the strong economy and those people leaned toward Gore. Those who felt the president was very responsible backed Gore by a 4-to-1 margin. About one in four voters were from union households and they backed Gore 2-to-1.

About one in five voters made their decision in the last week and favored Gore. Bush had a slight edge among those who decided earlier.

Just under half felt the president's scandals were at least somewhat important and they tilted heavily toward Bush. Those who thought the scandals were very important backed Bush by 6-to-1.

Mary Cole, a 67-year-old retired state worker usually votes Democratic, but she cast her ballot for Bush in St. Clair Shores, Mich.

"I just liked the way Bush talked," she said. "He was honest. There was something about Gore I didn't like. I think I felt more secure with Bush."

Eleven gubernatorial contests were being decided Tuesday, along with legislatures that will wield wide influence in next year's congressional redistricting. Democrats held their governorships in Delaware, New Hampshire, Indiana, New Hampshire and North Carolina -- and scored an upset in West Virginia, where Gov. Cecil Underwood lost to Rep. Bob Wise.

But it was the race between the son of a former president and the son of a former senator that captured the attention of voters who had often ignored politics during recent years of relative peace and ongoing prosperity.

Bush, 54, just six years into his first political job, promised to end the Clinton-Gore "season of cynicism," cut taxes, improve schools, build up the military and reshape Social Security. Benefiting from family connections and Texas-sized expectations, Bush raised a record-shattering $103 million as he aimed to settle a score as well as reach the political pinnacle: Clinton-Gore swept his father from office in 1993.

America has had father-and-son presidents only once: John Adams (1797-1801) and John Quincy Adams (1825-1829).

In TV ads and on the campaign trail, Bush said Gore couldn't be trusted. Gore, 52, said Bush didn't have the experience to be president. The Texas governor countered by tapping his father's defense secretary Dick Cheney, a Washington veteran, as running mate.

Gore chose Lieberman, the first Jewish candidate on a major national ticket, and a voice of moral authority during the impeachment debate.

After eight months and $250 million in TV ads, most pre-election polls showed Bush with a narrow advantage in the popular vote, and he sought victory-sealing upsets in Democratic-leaning states like California and Wisconsin.

Along with the governors races, about 200 legislative contests could settle the balance of power in 20 states and determine which party controls the redrawing of political districts for the next decade.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.