Daily Texan Staff
One of the most debated U.S. Senate races in American history was decided early Wednesday as the late Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan defeated incumbent John Ashcroft.
Carnahan garnered 1,120,927 votes 51 percent of the total votes reported as of 2 a.m Wednesday morning while Ashcroft got 49 percent of the votes with 1,093,897, according to CNN.
At press time, 87 percent of Missouri's precincts had fully reported election results. The remaining 13 percent do not hold enough weight to alter the outcome.
Democrat Carnahan, 66, died Oct. 16 after a private plane piloted by his son Roger, 44, crashed near St. Louis. The plane was also carrying an aide, Chris Sifford, age 37. The three men, who were killed instantly, were traveling to a campaign rally.
Campaign officials attributed Carnahan's victory to an outpouring of supporters who may have cast "sympathetic" votes for the late governor.
Under Missouri law, Carnahan's name was allowed to remain on the ballot since his death occurred within a month of the election. The law, which has also made Carnahan's wife Jean eligible to replace her husband, was created in the aftermath of a similar plane crash involving another Missouri politician 24 years ago.
The Republican Party, which has controlled the contested Senate seat in the last six years, is far from losing the position, officials have said.
Even though Missouri Gov. Roger B. Wilson nominated Jean Carnahan for the seat, the U.S. Senate will ultimately decide whether she receives the position.
In October, Jean Carnahan accepted Wilson's nomination, promising to continue her husband's legacy "by fighting for those things that he so deeply cared about," she told The Associated Press.
Jean Carnahan has pledged to invest in education, one of her late husband's strong commitments. Early in his term, Carnahan implemented a $315-million tax increase for public schools to improve teacher performance and classroom facilities.
In addition, Jean Carnahan has promised to strengthen Medicare and Social Security, pay down the national debt and increase law-enforcement facilities.
"I have never seen a senatorial contest like this before in my life," said Bill Eckhardt, professor of law at the University of Missouri at Kansas City.
He added that Jean Carnahan might not be selected to seat since the Republican-dominated U.S. Senate has the final say.
Ashcroft's campaign raised questions about Jean Carnahan's eligibility but did not file legal action, said Jerry Nachtigal, Carnahan's former communications director.
"Missouri Legislature states that [Wilson] has the right to announce a replacement," he said. "The governor believes that Mrs. Carnahan can get the job done because she has been Mr. Carnahan's partner for 46 years and would be able to continue his legacy."
In the months prior to his death, Carnahan was behind Ashcroft in major polls by an average of five points, even though Carnahan trimmed the lead during his last week alive.
A substantial grassroots movement in support of Carnahan developed after his death, spurring the deceased governor to the lead, said Sara Howard, spokeswoman for the Carnahan for Senate Campaign. She added that on Election Day, polls showed Carnahan ahead by three points.
Soon after the crash, Wilson called for a day of mourning, while Ashcroft suspended his campaign for a week, a factor that may have contributed to him losing momentum in the race, Eckhardt said.
Marvin Olasky, UT journalism professor, said the Ashcroft-Carnahan contest should be canceled and postponed with Carnahan's name removed from the ballot, citing the unfair influence the "sympathy factor" had during the election.
"However it turns out, the election results will be skewed by the tragedy and won't be a true representation of Missouri voters," Olasky said. "I'm a fan of John Ashcroft; he's a trustworthy person. But my hope is that another election be held in a few months."
Political analysts nationwide have said the outcome of the race, which was too close to call even five hours after Missouri polls were closed Tuesday, is crucial to the Democratic Party reclaiming control of the U.S. Senate.
Critics have said that Jean Carnahan is too unprepared and inexperienced to hold a U.S. Senate seat.
However, Jean Carnahan has authored three books and was co-chair of the Governor's Summit on Early Brain Development, which researched how young people learn. She is also co-founder of the Child Care at Work Initiative, which works with Missouri corporations to set up child-care centers.
Ashcroft served as Missouri governor from 1985-1993 before becoming a U.S. senator in 1994.
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