Republican wins bellwether House race  —  A former Republican congressman narrowly beat his Democratic rival early Wednesday for the right to fill the House seat once held by jailed Randy "Duke" Cunningham, a race closely watched as a possible early barometer of next fall's vote.

Supporters lose in gay marriage ban vote  —  WASHINGTON - The Senate on Wednesday rejected a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, dealing a defeat to President Bush and Republicans who hoped to use the measure to energize conservative voters on Election Day.

Retirement Account of DeLay's Wife Traced  —  With Disclosure, Family's Known Benefits From Ties With Lobbyist Exceed $490,000  —  A registered lobbyist opened a retirement account in the late 1990s for the wife of then-House Whip Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) and contributed thousands of dollars …

Senate Contender in Florida Presses On  —  VENICE, Fla. — Undaunted by a run of horrific poll numbers, staff turmoil and public doubts from leaders of her party, Representative Katherine Harris is thinking confidently beyond November.  —  Once Ms. Harris wins her race for a Senate seat …

McKinney deal may be in works  —  Lawyer rejects talk of any negotiations  —  WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors investigating the confrontation between Rep. Cynthia McKinney of Georgia and a Capitol police officer have been talking privately with McKinney's office in hopes of resolving …

Block the Vote, Ohio Remix  —  If there was ever a sign of a ruling party in trouble, it is a game plan that calls for trying to win by discouraging voting.  —  The latest sign that Republicans have an election-year strategy to shut down voter registration drives comes from Ohio.

The northern border and the Maple Leaf jihad  —  Regular readers know that I am a bit "soft" on illegal immigration, at least insofar as I do not subscribe to every argument offered by those who believe that illegal immigration from Mexico is an enormous problem requiring an immediate solution.

Salvaging Iraq  —  The images from Iraq are of hell on earth: On Sunday 12 Iraqi students traveling to Baqubah to take their final exams were dragged from a bus and killed because they practiced the wrong religion.  The next day gunmen dressed in police uniforms kidnapped 56 people near …

Technology Sharpens the Incumbents' Edge  —  Redistricting Also Complicates Democrats' Effort to Take Control of House  —  In Ohio's 1st Congressional District, Republican incumbent Steve Chabot is running up against his toughest reelection challenge in years.  But his Democratic opponent is running up against Chabot's computer.