Voters decide governor's race in Kentucky, Mississippi

Rep. Ernie Fletcher easily won the Kentucky governor's seat Tuesday, ousting Democrats from power after 32 years. Mississippi Democratic Gov. Ronnie Musgrove fought to keep his job against Washington lobbyist Haley Barbour as the GOP sought to make further inroads in the South.

Fletcher, a three-term congressman, defeated state Attorney General Ben Chandler, polling 55 percent, or 593,508 votes, to the Democrat's 45 percent, or 484,938 votes, with all precincts reporting.

With 23 percent of Mississippi precincts reporting, Barbour had 54 percent, or 106,968 votes, to 45 percent, or 88,881 votes, for Musgrove.

In Philadelphia, one of three big-city mayoral races, Democratic incumbent John Street handily defeated Republican businessman Sam Katz, 59 percent to 41 percent.

In both Kentucky and Mississippi, candidates tried out slogans and strategies that could well be used in the 2004 presidential race.

Mississippi Democrats criticized Barbour as a "Washington insider" as President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and other top GOP officials came to campaign for him.

In Kentucky, party activists argued that a vote for Chandler would tell the White House its economic policy is a failure.

Democrats in Mississippi complained Tuesday of intimidation at black voting precincts, echoing an earlier clash over race in Kentucky's final days. In both states, Democrats claimed that GOP poll observers sought to suppress the black vote, though Kentucky activists said they saw few problems on Election Day.

Spending records fell in Mississippi's race, where Musgrove, seeking a second term, was outspent by Barbour, a top Washington lobbyist and former head of the Republican National Committee. The race could be decided in the Democrat-controlled state House, if neither candidate gets over 50 percent of the popular vote or fails to win a majority of the 122 House districts.

In New Jersey, where a top GOP state Senate leader went down to defeat, legislative elections could break the Senate's 20-20 tie. The Democrats narrowly hold control of the Assembly. Voters also chose legislatures in Mississippi and Virginia.

Elsewhere, Maine voters rejected a $650 million gambling resort that opponents said would tarnish the state's outdoorsy image. In Denver, a "peace initiative" to reduce stress lost by a more than 2-1 margin.

Democrats hold the governor's office in Kentucky and Mississippi, though voters in both states supported Bush in 2002.

Each race turned on state issues, but as the highest-level elections before the 2004 White House contest, they drew close scrutiny from political strategists.

Recent polls showed the Democrats vulnerable. In Kentucky, term-limited Gov. Paul Patton is leaving after an infidelity scandal that soured voters. Fletcher campaigned on a promise to "clean up the mess in Frankfort."

Chandler's campaign tried to rally voters with criticism of Bush. "It sends a message to the rest of the country: We're tired of the biggest budget deficit in history," said former Democratic governor and Sen. Wendell Ford, stumping for the Democrat.

In Mississippi, state officials said they were investigating dozens of reports of irregularities, including allegations that observers followed voters into ballot booths or videotaped voters and their completed ballots.

"The Republican Party has run this election with a fist full of dollars in one hand and a Confederate flag in the other," said state Democratic Party chairman Rickey L. Cole.

Earlier, Barbour had revisited another issue that divided the races -- the Confederate flag. Recent ads reminded voters that Musgrove had supported an unsuccessful 2001 referendum that sought to remove the Rebel X.

Musgrove won his seat four years ago in Mississippi's closest governor's race ever. Unlike his opponent, Musgrove has distanced himself from national party figures.

The race broke state records, with Barbour raising at least $10.6 million and Musgrove at least $8.5 million.

A third Southern governor's race goes before the voters in Louisiana on Nov. 15. That race will decide who replaces term-limited GOP Gov. Mike Foster.

In mayors' races:

-- Philadelphia's Street defeated Katz in a rematch of their 1999 contest. Street got a bounce in the polls after it was learned that the FBI bugged his City Hall office; Street and his supporters have portrayed the investigation as an attempt by the Bush administration to bring down a black politician. Federal prosecutors have denied that.

-- Houston businessman Bill White led a field of nine going into the election. Mayor Lee Brown, the city's first black mayor, cannot seek a fourth term.

-- San Francisco was picking a new mayor; Willie Brown is barred from seeking a third term. Wealthy entrepreneur Gavin Newsom, who sought to get panhandlers off city streets, was considered the front-runner. A runoff was expected.