House Primaries In Utah, Mississippi And South Carolina
(AllPolitics, June 24) -- U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon won the GOP
nomination for the 3rd Congressional District in Utah and a
second term.
With 98 percent of the vote reporting, Cannon has 40,214 or 76
percent to Jeremy Friedbaum's 12,973, or 24 percent.
Cannon looked to have a clear shot at re-election when the
Democrats failed to field a candidate in the Third District.
But then along came Friedbaum, a scripture-spouting first-time
candidate whose willingness to mix religion and politics made even
his supporters on the far right a little uncomfortable.
Still, he managed enough delegate votes at the state Republican
convention in May to force Cannon to cancel his plans to do all his
campaigning for congressional colleagues.
Friedbaum is a disciple of the conservative teachings of former
Mormon prophet Ezra Taft Benson and ultraconservative icon Cleon
Skousen.
He attacked Cannon for not pursuing the impeachment of President
Clinton with more gusto and for his willingness to trade with
China.
Cannon wrested the seat from Democrat Bill Orton two years ago.
Lawyer wins Mississippi congressional runoff
In Mississippi, tax lawyer Delbert Hosemann won the
4th Congressional District Republican primary runoff for
the seat being vacated by Republican Rep. Mike Parker, who is
retiring.
With all 418 precincts in the district reporting,
Hosemann polled 14,766 votes to 11,646 for banker Phil Davis.
The two were the top vote-getters among nine candidates in the
June 2 primary.
Hosemann will face Mississippi Democratic Transportation
Commissioner Ronnie Shows in November.
In the Republican runoff in Mississippi's 5th Congressional
District Tuesday, accountant Randy McDonnell defeated Karl
Mertz, according to results from all 340 precincts.
McDonnell will face incumbent Democratic Rep. Gene Taylor in
the Nov. 3 election.
South Carolina newcomer wins Republican primary runoff
In South Carolina, marketing executive James
Warren DeMint beat state Sen. Mike Fair by 53 percent to 47
percent to win a Republican runoff in the 4th
Congressional District.
DeMint, handpicked by incumbent Rep. Bob Inglis to defend
the Republican's House seat in the heavily conservative upstate
district, will square off against Democratic state Sen. Glenn
Reese of Spartanburg in November.
Inglis gave up his House seat to challenge Democratic U.S.
Sen. Fritz Hollings in November.
DeMint, making his first bid for public office, was
considered the more moderate of the two conservative
Republicans, who had similar platforms calling for term limits,
the abolition of the Internal Revenue Service tax code and the
privatization of Social Security.
Fair was backed by the Christian Coalition and hired its
former director, Ralph Reed, as a consultant on his campaign. He
led a five-man field with 32 percent of the vote to DeMint's 23
percent in the June 9 primary.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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1998