Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson won his bid for re-election Saturday night, defying the notion that a federal bribery investigation would overwhelm his chances for political survival.
Jefferson represents most of New Orleans and surrounding suburbs in Jefferson Parish. He defeated State Rep. Karen Carter in a run-off election.
Despite an investigation in which FBI agents allegedly found $90,000 in Jefferson's freezer, and despite the guilty pleas of two associates who say they bribed him, unofficial returns showed early that Jefferson beat Karen Carter 57 percent to 43 percent.
This race was the sole contest on the election run-off ballot, and voter turnout was low -- estimated at no more than 20 percent. Absentee ballot returns weren't much better.
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