Chafee wins in Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Sen. Lincoln Chafee, a moderate who has frequently clashed with the Bush administration, beat back a strong conservative challenger Tuesday night in the GOP primary in Rhode Island.

The victory came amid heavy turnout, after the same Republican establishment that Chafee has so often defied rallied to his side with money and logistical support for a vigorous get-out-the-vote effort. While there is little personal affection for Chafee at the White House, operatives there and at the Republican National Committee calculated that he is the GOP’s best chance of holding the seat in a Democratic-leaning state in November.

Stephen Laffey, the blustery, populist mayor of Cranston, had sought to become the second challenger to topple a senator in a primary this year, after Sen. Joe Lieberman’s loss to Ned Lamont in Connecticut’s Democratic primary last month.

In the end, however, a race that for weeks had been widely viewed as neck and neck fell decisively in line for Chafee, who was commanding 54 percent of the vote with 94 percent of returns counted.

Chafee’s hurdles are hardly over. Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse, who like Chafee is a well-known Rhode Island political figure, also secured his party’s nomination Tuesday night over negligible opposition.

National GOP officials feared that if Chafee lost, Democrats would almost certainly win the Senate seat in November, one of six they must pick up to reclaim control of the chamber.

National Republican officials who are backing Chafee announced last week that they would pull their resources out of Rhode Island should Laffey prevail, effectively conceding the election to Democrats.