N.J. senator beats young rival

TRENTON, N.J. — Sen. Frank Lautenberg easily won nomination for re-election Tuesday, surpassing a challenger who often reminded voters that Lautenberg would be nearly 91 by the end of a fifth term.

The contest between Lautenberg, 84, and Democratic Rep. Rob Andrews, 50, was one of the top races in the states holding primaries to decide congressional contests and ballot initiatives.

Lautenberg easily beat Andrews, who has served in the House since 1990, and a third Democrat, Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello. After his victory, Lautenberg said voters weren't looking at his age. "They don't care how old I am."

He will compete in November against former U.S. Rep. Dick Zimmer, who prevailed over a state senator and a college business professor in a three-way GOP primary.

In other national races:

• New Mexico voters were nominating candidates for three open congressional seats and one Senate seat. All three of the state's House members — two Republicans and a Democrat — decided against seeking re-election and instead ran for the Senate seat being vacated by Pete Domenici. With most precincts reporting, conservative Republican Rep. Steve Pearce held a slim lead over rival Heather Wilson.

• Residents of Union County, S.D., voted 58 percent to 42 percent to endorse their county commission's rezoning of land for an oil refinery.

• In California, voters passed some limits on government home seizures but rejected sweeping changes to property-rights laws. Residents approved Proposition 99 and defeated Proposition 98, which were both intended to limit government's authority to force Californians to sell their homes for private development projects.

• In Sacramento, Calif., former NBA All-Star Kevin Johnson held a narrow lead in early returns in his quest to unseat a two-term incumbent for mayor.

• Voters in Mendocino County, north of the Bay Area, considered whether to scale back a law allowing residents to grow up to 25 marijuana plants for medical, recreational or personal use. Supporters of the measure want to crack down on pot profiteers.

• California's most heated congressional campaign took shape in the GOP contest between state Sen. Tom McClintock and former U.S. Rep. Doug Ose, a real-estate businessman. They are competing for the seat held by departing Republican Rep. John Doolittle, who's being investigated in an influence-peddling scandal.

• In Alabama, the retirement of one of the state's longest-serving GOP congressmen offered Democrats their best chance in years to claim a seat that has been in Republican hands since 1964. Democrats recruited Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright to try to succeed eight-term Republican Terry Everett. The Republican field of six was led by state Rep. Jay Love, but he was headed for a July 15 runoff with state Sen. Harri Anne Smith because both received less than half the vote.

• In Iowa, six-term congressman Leonard Boswell put down a challenge from a more liberal opponent, largely by drawing attention to Ed Fallon's support for Ralph Nader in 2000.