Democrats hold on to Giffords’ seat

PHOENIX — Democrat Ron Barber has won a special House election in southern Arizona to finish the term of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

Giffords resigned a year after she was shot in the head while meeting with constituents at a Tucson shopping center.

Barber defeated Republican Jesse Kelly, 30, a former Marine who narrowly lost a House race to Giffords in 2010.

The 66-year- old Barber was seriously injured in the same rampage in which Giffords was shot. Six others were killed.

Holding on to the seat has been a priority for Democrats as they seek to regain control of the House in November.

Republicans tried to make the race a referendum on President Barack Obama, a strategy they’ll continue to follow in other swing districts in this fall’s congressional elections.

North Dakota

Rep. Rick Berg defeated businessman Duane Sand in the state’s Republican primary. Berg now faces Democrat Heidi Heitkamp in the November race to replace retiring Sen. Kent Conrad.

The election is expected to play a critical role in determining which party controls the Senate next year.

Voters also approved a measure that lets the University of North Dakota dump its controversial Fighting Sioux nickname.

The vote sends the matter back to the state’s Board of Higher Education, which is expected to retire the moniker and American

Indian head logo.

Virginia

Former senator George Allen easily defeated three lesser-known conservative Republican challengers Tuesday in Virginia’s primaries, earning a shot at regaining the seat he lost six years ago in a race both parties consider critical to controlling the U.S. Senate. Allen will face Democrat Tim Kaine, both former governors, in the Nov. 6 election. The former Democratic National Committee chairman was unopposed.

Maine

Six Republicans and four Democrats were running to fill the Senate seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe.

The front-runner, former governor Angus King, wasn’t on the ballot because he’s running as an independent.

Nevada

Republican Sen. Dean Heller and Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley easily defeated a slate of political unknowns in their respective primaries. Their fall race also will be one of the most competitive in the country.