Initiatives to curb abortions defeated

Arizona voters in 2006 rejected a gay marriage ban, but a similar one was approved Tuesday.

Former University of California Regent Ward Connerly backed initiatives in two states to end affirmative action. The one in Colorado was narrowly losing Tuesday night, but the measure in Nebraska passed.

As the Republican party reeled from defeats in the presidential and congressional races, its operatives stressed that none of its incumbent governors lost a race.

Even in liberal Vermont, Gov Jim Douglas, a Republican and strong fiscal conservative, won.

In Indiana, Republican Gov Mitch Daniels held onto his seat.

The former budget director for President George W. Bush, Daniels resisted the Democratic surge that transformed Indiana into a swing state and handily defeated his challenger, former Rep. Jill L. Thompson.

But there were some reversals for Republicans.

In Missouri, the GOP lost a governorship as Atty. Gen. Jay Nixon won the contest to succeed retiring GOP Gov. Roy Blunt.

In North Carolina, Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue became the state's first female governor, succeeding termed-out fellow Democrat Mike Easley.

She defeated Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory.

But the results of perhaps the most contested race were still up in the air Tuesday evening, as Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire fought challenger Dino Rossi in a rematch of their nail-biter of a race in 2004. Democrat Gregoire won by a handful of votes, and some Republicans complained of fraud. This time, Gregoire was narrowly ahead with more than a third of the votes counted.

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nicholas.riccardi@latimes.com