NEW YORK (AP) - State and local elections Tuesday provided a major test for whether minority Democrats can take advantage of turmoil in President George W. Bush's Republican Party and ultimately recapture Congress and the White House.
The biggest bellwether appeared to be the race for governor in Virginia, a state just south of Washington where Bush made a last-minute campaign appearance for the Republican candidate, Jerry Kilgore, in a race that is too close to call.
Bush carried Virginia in last year's presidential election, but his approval ratings in the state have fallen to about 40 percent, just slightly higher than in the nation overall. Meanwhile, Virginia's popular Democratic governor, Mark Warner, has campaigned for his party's candidate, Tim Kaine. Warner, who is barred from seeking reelection, is considered a possible presidential candidate in 2008.
Republicans are expected to hold onto the mayoral seat in New York City, but that race is more of a reflection of big spending and local personalities than national trends. Billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a moderate Republican in an overwhelmingly Democratic city, has spent more than $66 million (?56 million) for reelection _ about eight times the amount spent by rival Fernando Ferrer.
Movie-star turned California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger faces a test of his own sagging popularity. State residents will vote on four ballot questions to cap spending and give him more power. Polls show Schwarzenegger's initiatives are likely to be defeated.
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The elections come at the lowest point in Bush's five-year presidency. U.S. casualties in Iraq continue to mount, energy prices are rising and Bush's response to Hurricane Katrina was widely criticized. A top White House aide faces criminal charges related to the leak of an undercover CIA officer's identity. Backlash from Bush's conservative base forced the president to withdraw his nominee for a Supreme Court vacancy.
Republicans, who control both house of Congress, have been further damaged by criminal charges against powerful congressman Tom DeLay, who was forced to give up his leadership position, and an investigation into the leading Republican in the Senate, Bill Frist.
Congressional elections will be held next year, with all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and a third of the 100 seats in the Senate on the ballot. But Democratic prospects for taking control are uncertain. Voters generally favor incumbents in House races and Democrats will be defending more seats than Republicans in Senate races. Moreover, polls do not show a surge in support for Democrats.
In Tuesday's vote, Democrats are trying to hold on to the governor's seat in New Jersey in another high-spending campaign. Jon Corzine, a U.S. senator, has a lead over Republican candidate Doug Forrester.
In other contests Tuesday, the cities of Detroit, Houston, Boston, San Diego and Atlanta have mayoral races. Voters in Texas are being asked to decide whether a state constitutional ban should be placed on same-sex marriage.
