A daily dose of online news from beyond the Beltway.

By Ryan Thornburg
Washingtonpost.com Staff
Wednesday, June 24, 1998

South Carolina state Sen. Mike Fair lost Tuesday's Republican congressional runoff to Spartanburg marketing executive Jim DeMint, despite big-name endorsements by Family Research Council President Gary Bauer, former Marine Lt. Colonel Oliver North, magazine publisher Steve Forbes, and former Christian Coalition head Ralph Reed.
Fair Falls in 4th, DeMint to Battle in November (The State, Columbia, S.C., June 24)

"I'm homesick and I'm tired and I can't wait." – President Clinton, talking about an upcoming trip to Little Rock. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, June 24)

Utah Rep. Chris Cannon easily defeated self-described religious fanatic Jeremy Friedbaum in the 3rd District Republican Primary.
Cannon Swamps GOP Challenger In 3rd District (The Salt Lake Tribune, June 24)

In New Mexico, the GOP retained the seat of the late Rep. Steven Schiff. First District voters narrowly elected Republican Heather Wilson over Democrat Phil Maloof in Tuesday's special election.
Republican Wilson Headed to Congress (The Albuquerque Journal, June 24)

Summer Fund-raising in '98 Aimed at 2000
In an election year, the best way for potential presidential candidates to make friends and influence endorsements is by raising cash. North Carolina has seen it's fair share of GOP big-shots campaigning for Republican Sen. Lauch Faircloth, including former vice president Dan Quayle, Texas Gov. George W. Bush and Sen. Phil Gramm. Faircloth's Democratic challenger, John Edwards, will get some D.C. help next week when Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey comes to town.
Edwards Gets Some Timely Help (The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C., June 24)

Vice President Gore heads to Texas tomorrow to campaign for Gov. Bush's Democratic opponent, Garry Mauro. The current White House occupant, President Clinton, helped raise $250,000 for Mauro in Washington yesterday and is already promoting upcoming money stops in Atlanta and Little Rock.
Atlanta Fund-Raiser to Feature Clinton (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 24)
'Homesick' President to Visit Arkansas After Asia (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, June 24)
Clintons Help Mauro Raise $250,000 in D.C. (The Dallas Morning News, June 24)

Alabamans Take Notice of 'Yankee Scribes' Taking Notice of Them
Maybe they're sick of covering the gubernatorial candidates calling each other names, so today an Alabama journalist covered the coverage of the race by The Washington Post and other "Yankee scribes." And we at "Early Returns" felt obliged to cover the coverage of the coverage.
National Media Focuses on Alabama Primary(Mobile Register, June 24)
Debate Rhetoric Cools (The Birmingham News, June 23)
From The Post: Key Stories on the Ala. Governor's Race

Kids These Days: 20-Somethings Run for Mass. Offices
Who says young people are disaffected by politics? In Massachusetts, two 20-something candidates are running for the state legislature. Both reflect the state's new immigrant communities and are running partially on platforms of ethnic consensus building.
The Young Elect to Run (The Boston Globe, June 24)

Mich. Governor: Quirky Kevorkian Lawyer's Lead is Narrowing
Although he still leads the latest poll, Michigan Democratic gubernatorial Geoffrey Fieger is losing ground to his two rivals. Fieger is best known for his legal defense of assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian and for his racy radio ads in which a wife greets her returning husband with a sultry "It's Fieger time."
It's a 3-Horse Race as Survey Shows Fieger Slowing Up (Detroit Free-Press, June 24)

GOP Leaders Support Democrat in S.C. Governor Race
Twenty Republican Party leaders in Richland County, S.C., announced their support Tuesday for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Hodges. They said they feared that Republican Gov. David Beasley was leading the party too far to the right.
Republicans Back Hodges Over Beasley (The State, Columbia, S.C., June 24)

Calif. Gambling Issue Shows Divides Democratic Constituencies
California Democrats are stuck in the middle of a battle between organized labor and Native American tribes. The labor leaders, in support of an agreement reached by GOP Gov. Pete Wilson, want tribal casinos to provide unemployment and workers' compensation and allow employees in restaurants and hotels attached to tribal casinos to join a union. The tribes, who have contributed at least $146,429 to the Democratic gubernatorial campaign of Lt. Gov. Gray Davis, oppose the deal.
Tribal Gaming Issue a Democratic Dilemma (The Sacramento Bee, June 23)

Minn. Governor: Democrats Battle While GOP Waits for November
When the Minnesota state Republican Party endorsed Norm Coleman last weekend, Coleman's challengers dropped out of the race to avoid a bloody primary. Democrat Mike Freeman received no such gift when he won his party's endorsement. He still faces Attorney General Hubert Humphrey III, former state Sen. Ted Mondale and three other Democrats in the Sept. 15 primary.
Freeman Calls on DFL Rivals to Drop Out of Race (The Star-Tribune, Minneapolis, June 24)
Coleman Survives Endorsement Ordeal with Few Liabilities (The Star-Tribune, Minneapolis, June 21)

Ryan Thornburg can be reached at ryan.thornburg@washingtonpost.com