By GUY COATES, Associated Press Writer

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu (news, bio, voting record) beat back a fierce Republican challenge led by President Bush (news - web sites) and won a second term Saturday, giving her party a midterm consolation prize that limits the GOP's Senate majority to 51 seats.

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Landrieu fended off Republican Suzanne Haik Terrell, the state elections commissioner who had touted herself as a close friend and ally of the president.

With 99 of precincts reporting, Landrieu had 627,253 votes, or 51 percent, and Terrell had 591,791, or 49 percent.

The GOP also failed to hang on to a U.S. House seat in the final election of the calendar year. Democratic state legislator Rodney Alexander edged Republican Lee Fletcher by just 518 votes in the race for the seat Republican John Cooksey gave up to make an unsuccessful Senate bid.

With all precincts reporting, Alexander had 85,720 votes and Fletcher had 85,202 votes in the heavily conservative district. There was no immediate word from Fletcher on whether he will seek a recount.

Republicans took control of the Senate last month and Bush had campaigned here last week in hopes of pushing Terrell to victory. Landrieu scrambled to cast herself as a centrist who backed Bush three-fourths of the time but wouldn't be a "rubber stamp" for the president.

Secretary of State Fox McKeithen said he expected turnout to be 45 percent — low by Louisiana standards. Voters seemed dismayed by the sharp salvos between the two New Orleans women who share the same views on most political issues.

Tom Loesch, a Democrat from New Orleans, said he was "saddened to have to choose between two Republicans, one of them in a Democrat's clothing." He said he had to support Landrieu because he "didn't want to give Bush anything else."

Landrieu, 46, has been in politics all her life. The daughter of former New Orleans Mayor Moon Landrieu, she won her first term six years ago with a 6,000-vote squeaker, prompting her to joke that she was no "Landslide Landrieu."

This time, she won by some 35,000 votes against a 48-year-old attorney who came out of nowhere three years ago to become the first Republican woman to win statewide office, as elections commissioner. Terrell had hoped to become the first Republican senator here since Reconstruction.

While the rest of the nation decided its congressional elections Nov. 5, Louisiana held a unique open primary where candidates from both sides run. Landrieu failed to get the simple majority needed for outright victory and wound up in the runoff with second-place finisher Terrell.

Republicans held 51 seats in the Senate after the November elections and took aim at this race for the icing on the cake. In addition to bragging rights, an additional GOP seat would have been ammunition in the fight to get more committee seats. And it would have provided a cushion in case a Republican senator left office and was replaced by a Democrat.

Landrieu was caught in a bind during the campaign, since Bush carried the state in 2000. Her primary campaign ads boasted that she had voted with the president 74 percent of the time but not on issues that were harmful to Louisiana.

That strategy kept black voters at home in large numbers on primary day and black leaders complained that Landrieu sounded like a Republican. For the runoff, Landrieu fired her strategists and launched a more aggressive attack in a bid to appear more independent.

Terrell's message changed from a primary campaign that said the president needed control of the Senate to one that stressed that Louisiana "has one good senator but needs one in the majority party to get more done for the state." It was a reference to Democratic Sen. John Breaux (news, bio, voting record), who is as popular in Louisiana as the president. Bush even praised Breaux when he campaigned for Terrell.

Loyalty to Bush became a major issue, with both candidates not far apart on issues such as Social Security (news - web sites), Medicare, prescription drugs for the elderly and homeland defense. Both support Bush's stand on Iraq.

The glaring difference between the two Roman Catholics was abortion: Landrieu supports abortion rights and Terrell is anti-abortion.

In the House race, Fletcher, 36, and Alexander, 55, spent weeks swapping bitter accusations and attack ads. Both touted themselves as conservative businessmen best suited to take the seat Cooksey held for three terms.

Fletcher is the congressman's former chief of staff.

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2002