HOW THE MEDIA COVERED CA-50

Republican wins bellwether House race
By ROBERT TANNER
AP National Writer
Jun 7, 5:49 AM EDT

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.

Republican Brian Bilbray emerged victorious after a costly and contentious special election race against Democrat Francine Busby, a local school board member who ran against Cunningham in 2004.



With 90 percent of precincts reporting, Bilbray had 56,130 votes or 49.5 percent. Busby trailed with 51,292 votes or 45 percent. "I think that we're going back to Washington," Bilbray told cheering supporters.

The race - one of dozens of contests Tuesday in eight states - was viewed by Democrats as an opportunity to capture a solidly Republican district and build momentum on their hopes to capture control of the House.

National Democrats spent nearly $2 million on the race; the GOP spent $4.5 million.
President Bush and first lady Laura Bush recorded telephone messages for Bilbray, while the Democrats' last two presidential candidates - John Kerry and Al Gore - urged supporters to back Busby.

AP gets the basic facts right and doesn't spin for either side.

GOP Candidate Leads in Pivotal House Race
The contest to replace Cunningham may be a sign of how scandals will influence voters this fall.
By Tony Perry and Rone Tempest,
LA Times Staff Writers
June 7, 2006

Bilbray had inched ahead of his Democratic foe, Francine Busby, 55, a school board member in suburban Cardiff-by-the-Sea. Busby had hammered repeatedly on the theme of ending a "culture of corruption" that erupted under President Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress.

The fight for the 50th Congressional District was seen as an early test of whether Democrats could capitalize on Bush's plummeting approval ratings to regain a majority in at least one house of Congress.

Between what the two candidates raised, and what the national parties have spent, the price tag for the race tops $10 million — much of it spent on negative television ads. In recent days, Bilbray received $7,000 from San Diego Chargers owner Alex Spanos and his family, and $5,000 from the New Majority Political Action Committee. Spanos and New Majority are major patrons of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Bilbray also benefited from fundraising efforts by Vice President Dick Cheney. Bilbray said Tuesday night that he had surged in recent days, and lauded First Lady Laura Bush for her campaign help; she made automated phone calls on his behalf. "Laura is great," Bilbray said. If he emerged victorious, Bilbray added, he would vote against amnesty for illegal immigrants and in favor of a constitutional amendment to prohibit gay marriage.

Republicans hold a wide registration lead over Democrats, 44% to 30%, and the district has reliably voted for Republican presidential candidates. In an April 11 preliminary to Tuesday's runoff, Busby, who had lost to Cunningham in 2004, finished first with 44% of the vote. Bilbray, facing a dozen Republicans, was second with 15%.

An early story by the LAT that gives us more facts than the AP story.


Bilbray edges out Busby
Rep. Filner beats Democratic rival in latest rematch
By Philip J. LaVelle and Dani Dodge
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITERS
2:12 a.m. June 7, 2006

Republican Brian Bilbray beat Democrat Francine Busby early Wednesday in a close race to replace imprisoned former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham in the 50th Congressional District, a contest seen as a gauge of voter attitudes for the national midterm elections.

This year's race pitted a Democrat against a Republican seen by many in his own party as too liberal on social issues, including abortion rights, which he supports. There were nasty TV attack ads financed by both Republican and Democratic national parties and visits by high-profile party leaders.

Despite a substantial Republican voter-registration advantage – 44 Republican, 30 percent Democrat and 22 percent independent – polls suggested a dead heat.

Busby focused her campaign on ethics and the “culture of corruption” in Washington – a popular theme among Democratic congressional candidates this year.

But immigration become the defining issue, reflecting its standing atop public opinion surveys in California.

Busby supports the U.S. Senate's immigration bill, which calls for a comprehensive approach to immigration, including a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants along with enforcement measures.

Bilbray supports the harder-line House immigration bill, focused exclusively on enforcement, and has said he favors building a fence from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.


The San Diego Union-Tribune lets us know a little more about Bilbray and each candidates stance on immigration.