Grandson of late congresswoman wins in Indiana election; becomes second Muslim in Congress
INDIANAPOLIS: The grandson of the late U.S. Rep. Julia Carson won a special election to succeed her, keeping the seat in Democratic hands and becoming the second Muslim ever elected to Congress.
Andre Carson had about 54 percent of the vote compared with about 43 percent for Republican Jon Elrod after all the votes were tallied. Carson finished with a 9,000-vote edge out of nearly 85,000 votes cast.
Carson will represent a district that covers most of Indianapolis for the remainder of the year. In a primary in May, he will seek to be the Democratic nominee for a full two-year term.
In his victory speech, Carson told more than 100 supporters gathered at a downtown Indianapolis hotel that he would have to "hit the ground running." One of his top priorities, he said, would be ending the war in Iraq.
"We need to bring our men and women back home and end this useless war," Carson said.
Elrod's campaign manager acknowledged that it appeared Carson had won. "The result tonight doesn't change his resolve to bring change to Washington and move Indianapolis forward," Kyle Casting said.
Carson, whose grandmother raised him in a Baptist church, converted to Islam more than a decade ago.
Carson will join Rep. Keith Ellison, a Minnesota Democrat, as the only Muslims in Congress. His religious identity drew little attention during the campaign, and Carson said he does not believe it hurts him politically.
"I'm a proud Hoosier," Carson said after his speech Tuesday night. "I'm an Indy 500 Hoosier, I'm a Covered Bridge Festival Hoosier, I'm a Black Expo Hoosier, I'm a state fair Hoosier. I just happen to be a Hoosier of the Muslim faith."
Elrod held out hope for a late surge and did not concede defeat. Elrod campaign manager Kyle Casting said the candidate would not give up until the last vote was counted.
In Indiana, District 7 is predominantly Democratic and Carson had a large fundraising advantage over Elrod, but Carson faced potential backlash over complaints of political nepotism.
Carson, 33, has been a member of the Indianapolis City-County Council since August. Elrod, 30, is a first-term state representative.
Julia Carson, a Democrat who first won election to Congress in 1996 and died in December, was the first black to represent Indianapolis in Congress — from a district that is nearly two-thirds white.
In Mississippi, Republicans and Democrats were choosing their candidates for two rare open congressional seats.
The seat in the 1st District became vacant when Republican Roger Wicker was appointed to replace Sen. Trent Lott after his resignation. The heavily Republican 3rd District is open for the first time in 12 years after Rep. Chip Pickering decided not to seek a seventh term.
Former state Sen. Charlie Ross and attorney Gregg Harper are heading for a runoff in the Republican primary. The winner will face Democrat Joel Gill.
Democrats say they have a chance to claim north Mississippi's 1st District. The district leans Republican but could be a toss-up this fall. Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Travis Childers and state Rep. Steve Holland were headed for a runoff in the Democratic primary. On the Republican side, former Tennessee Valley Authority chairman Glenn McCullough and Southaven Mayor Greg Davis also were headed to a runoff.
A runoff in the congressional races will be April 1.
Grandson of late congresswoman wins in Indiana election; becomes second Muslim in Congress - International Herald Tribune 
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