Mo. US Rep. Emerson wins re-election

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Republican U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson will retain her seat in Congress for an eighth term, holding off a challenge from Democratic newcomer Tommy Sowers.

Emerson, who is 61 and from Cape Girardeau, was first elected in 1996 following the death from cancer of her husband, Bill Emerson, who had served Missouri's 8th District for 16 years.

In past races, she had faced mostly token opposition. But the 34-year-old Sowers, an Iraqi war veteran and a native of Rolla, caught the attention of national Democratic stalwarts. He raised more money than all of Emerson's previous major-party challengers combined.