National races

Bush beating Kerry
Last night about 10:30, President Bush had a commanding lead over Democrat challenger Sen. John Kerry with key battleground states Ohio and Florida apparently going for Bush.
In his first political race, Mitch Daniels, the former Bush White House budget and management chief, appeared to have easily defeated Indiana Gov. Joe Kernan, 55 percent to 45 percent with 80 percent of the vote counted, although Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh continued his magical political streak by beating Butler University sociology professor Marvin Scott for another six-year term. Bayh is one of the few Democrats who was successful yesterday in Indiana.
Interestingly, in neighboring Crawford County, Bush beat Kerry by 667 votes while Kernan and Daniels deadlocked at 2,231 votes.
Indiana Att. Gen. Steve Carter was beating his Democrat challenger, former Indiana Secretary of State Joe Hogsett. With 39 percent of the votes counted, Republican Carter was up by more than 100,000 votes.
Another Democrat, Ninth District Congressman Baron Hill, was in the fight of his life against Republican challenger Mike Sodrel of New Albany, who campaigned yesterday morning in Harrison County. Last night at 11, Hill, who was in Harrison County Friday and Saturday evenings, trailed Sodrel by 924 votes with 94 percent of the precincts having reported.