Indicted Louisiana congressman loses re-election bid

CNN) -- Nine-term Democratic Rep. William Jefferson, who has been battling scandals and a federal indictment for the past three years, appears to have lost his bid for re-election.

Louisiana Democratic Rep. William Jefferson has been embroiled in a bribery scandal.

In the 2nd Congressional district, with 79 percent of precincts reporting, Republican challenger Anh "Joseph" Cao -- an attorney and community organizer -- had 52.9 percent of the vote to Jefferson's 43.2 percent.

In Louisiana's 4th District, Democrat Paul Carmouche led Republican John Fleming. Carmouche had 49 percent to 46.7 percent for Fleming, with 579 of 640 precincts reporting. That race was to replace retiring 10-term Republican Rep. Jim McCrery, a top-ranking Republican on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/06/louisiana.congress/