Former Ind. congresswoman wins gov. primary after tight race

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Also in North Carolina, Republican Congressman Walter Jones, who pushed to bring "freedom fries" to the U.S. House cafeteria in a symbolic protest of French opposition to the Iraq war, withstood a challenge from Joe McLaughlin. Jones, a seven-term congressman who got the idea from a North Carolina eatery, later soured on the war and McLaughlin, a former Army officer, had hoped to capitalize on discontent with his anti-war stance.

In other races, Democratic state Sen. Kay Hagan beat Chapel Hill entrepreneur Jim Neal for the right to run against Republican U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, who breezed to a comfortable victory in her own primary after facing token opposition from a former New York police officer.

And in Durham County, Democratic prosecutor Tracey Cline beat three other candidates vying to replace former District Attorney Mike Nifong, who resigned last year after being disbarred for his ill-fated prosecution of three Duke lacrosse players falsely accused of rape. There are no Republicans in the race, making it likely Cline will claim the office.

Cline worked under Nifong as he led the case against the three players accused of attacking a woman at a team party. They were cleared last year. Nifong was disbarred for misconduct, resigned in disgrace and spent a day in jail.

"This was not about the Duke lacrosse case," Cline told The News & Observer of Raleigh. "This was the healing after the lacrosse case. It's apparent to me that Durham can pull together and get through anything. We've got to refocus the energy we have on dealing with juvenile and violent crime."

All four members of North Carolina's House delegation challenged in Tuesday's primary breezed to easy victories. Five Indiana congressmen won their primaries and four ran unopposed

Republican Rep. Dan Burton, the state's longest-serving congressman, fended off a challenge from emergency room physician John McGoff. McGoff had hoped to unseat Burton, who came under fire last year amid reports that he missed 19 House votes during a trip to California for a charity golf tournament. Burton has said the golf trip was a mistake.

The other big race was in Indiana's 7th District, where new Democratic Rep. Andre Carson bested seven challengers as he sought to retain the seat he won in a March special election. Carson had replaced his grandmother, Rep. Julia Carson, who died in December after 11 years in Congress. He will next face Republican Jon Elrod in November.

On the presidential level, Barack Obama convincingly won the North Carolina Democratic primary, while Hillary Rodham Clinton eked out a win in the Indiana contest.

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