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Tom Daschle Booted By Thune
Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle has lost his battle against former three-term U.S. Rep. John Thune, 51-49 percent, in their race for a South Dakota Senate seat.
John Thune
Daschle, who has served three terms, is the first Senate leader to be unseated since 1952.
With nearly all the ballots tabulated, Thune edged Daschle by less than 8,700 votes out of more than 383,000 cast.
Republican national leadership invested in the race, regarding the Democrat as an obstacle to President Bush's initiatives.
Not counting money spent by outside groups, Daschle and Thune had poured $26.3 million into the race by mid-October. That amounts to more than $50 for each of the state's 502,000 registered voters.
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Earlier today, a federal judge in Sioux Falls issued a ruling that prohibited Republican poll watchers in Charles Mix County from following American Indian voters out of polling places. The workers also were barred from recording license plate numbers.
Daschle had asked for a temporary restraining covering the whole state that would prevent Republicans from doing anything that would "harass, intimidate or discourage voters."
U.S. District Judge Lawrence Piersol said there "clearly is the threat of irreparable harm" to Daschle.
Thune said he would appeal the ruling to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals tomorrow, calling it a "sham ruling will not stand."
Thune campaign manager Dick Wadhams accused Daschle of filing the suit because he knew he would lose. Wadhams pointed out Piersol is a longtime friend of Daschle's.
"No campaign goes into federal court with a political crony in a judge's robe unless they think they're going to lose," Wadhams said, according to the Associated Press.
Daschle spokesman Dan Pfeiffer challenged Wadhams to have the judge recuse himself if he was concerned about Piersol's impartiality.
Wadhams said there was no evidence to indicate any voters were intimidated by GOP poll watchers in Charles Mix County, where Democrats hold a big advantage.
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John Thune
Daschle, who has served three terms, is the first Senate leader to be unseated since 1952.
With nearly all the ballots tabulated, Thune edged Daschle by less than 8,700 votes out of more than 383,000 cast.
Republican national leadership invested in the race, regarding the Democrat as an obstacle to President Bush's initiatives.
Not counting money spent by outside groups, Daschle and Thune had poured $26.3 million into the race by mid-October. That amounts to more than $50 for each of the state's 502,000 registered voters.
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Earlier today, a federal judge in Sioux Falls issued a ruling that prohibited Republican poll watchers in Charles Mix County from following American Indian voters out of polling places. The workers also were barred from recording license plate numbers.
Daschle had asked for a temporary restraining covering the whole state that would prevent Republicans from doing anything that would "harass, intimidate or discourage voters."
U.S. District Judge Lawrence Piersol said there "clearly is the threat of irreparable harm" to Daschle.
Thune said he would appeal the ruling to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals tomorrow, calling it a "sham ruling will not stand."
Thune campaign manager Dick Wadhams accused Daschle of filing the suit because he knew he would lose. Wadhams pointed out Piersol is a longtime friend of Daschle's.
"No campaign goes into federal court with a political crony in a judge's robe unless they think they're going to lose," Wadhams said, according to the Associated Press.
Daschle spokesman Dan Pfeiffer challenged Wadhams to have the judge recuse himself if he was concerned about Piersol's impartiality.
Wadhams said there was no evidence to indicate any voters were intimidated by GOP poll watchers in Charles Mix County, where Democrats hold a big advantage.
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