McCain, McConnell win in Kentucky

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By ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Voters in Kentucky have broken a 44-year streak of picking overall winners in presidential races by backing the unsuccessful campaign of Republican John McCain.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Barack Obama was elected the nation's first black president Tuesday night in a historic triumph.

McCain won Kentucky and collected eight electoral votes in the state that had picked the overall winner in presidential races dating back to 1964.

With 98 percent of Kentucky precincts reporting, McCain had 1,008,429 votes or 57 percent, compared with 727,289 votes or 41 percent for Obama.

Although registered Democrats outnumber Republicans, the state has trended Republican in recent years, supporting President Bush in the past two elections.

Neither McCain nor Obama had campaigned in Kentucky recently. They instead spent their time in battleground states that had more electoral votes at stake and where the race was closer.

Voters in Kentucky turned out at the polls at what was a near-record pace to make their selections between McCain and Obama.

They also re-elected Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell over Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford in a race that turned into the most expensive ever in Kentucky at $25 million and counting.

With 98 percent of precincts reporting, McConnell had 912,307 votes or 52 percent, compared with 819,116 votes, or 47 percent for Lunsford.

McConnell, the Senate minority leader, had raised $17.9 million for his re-election campaign by the end of September. Lunsford, a Louisville millionaire, personally put up $5.5 million of the $7.1 million in contributions he listed on campaign finance reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.