NEW ORLEANS Voters in Louisiana sent couple Republicans to Congress on Saturday, ousting indicted Democratic U.S. Rep. William Jefferson in one race and narrowly keeping a seat vacated by a retiring incumbent in the other.

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In the 2nd Congressional District, which includes most of New Orleans, Republican lawyer Anh “Joseph” Cao won 50 percent of the devoted to Jefferson’s 47 percent and will become the first Vietnamese-American in Congress. His sole previous political experience was an unsuccessful 2007 bid for a seat in the plight legislature.

In the 4th Congressional District in western Louisiana, Republican John Fleming squeaked past Democrat Paul Carmouche in the race to replace retiring 10-term Rep. Jim McCrery, R-La. Only a not many century votes separated the two.

Republicans made an aggressive push to grasp the 2nd District seat from the 61-year-old Jefferson, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of bribery, laundering wealth and misusing his congressional office.

Unofficial results showed Cao winning 50 percent of the ballot to Jefferson’s 47 percent.

“The people of the 2nd District have parole,” Cao, 41, told supporters at a eating-house near the French Quarter. “We want new direction. We want exploit. We want accountability.”

In a speech that was kind but stopped short of concession, Jefferson blamed low voter turnout for his showing and aforesaid supporters may take thought he was a shoo-in after he won a Nov. 4 preparatory in the predominantly black and heavily Democratic region.

“I think people just ran out of gas a bit,” he said. “People today sand bank didn’t come out in large numbers.”

Greg Rigamer, a New Orleans politic consultant, said his analysis showed turnout in predominantly white sections of the district was double that in black areas. He said that helped push Cao to victory over Jefferson, who became Louisiana’s first black congressman from that time Reconstruction when he took office in 1991.

“This is considerably a feat,” Rigamer said of Cao’sitting victory.

New Orleans voters had lengthy been loyal to Jefferson, re-electing him in 2006 even after news of the bribery scandal broke. Late-night TV comics made him the butt of jokes after founded on agents before-mentioned they found $90,000 in alleged bribe money hidden in his freezer.

“People are innocent until proven guilty,” said Faye Leggins, 54, every educator and Democrat who moved back to the city six months ago and still has fresh memories of Hurricane Katrina. She voted for Jefferson in succession Saturday. “He has plenty seniority, so he can do a lot to redevelop this city.”

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