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Wednesday
November 8, 2000
Recount in Florida
to determine who
wins White House
From staff and wire reports
After an apparent victory for Texas
Gov. George W. Bush early this
morning, Vice President Al Gore
retracted his concession around 3:30
a.m. when the results in Florida nar-
rowed to a less than 1 percent margin
and Democratic officials in the state
contacted the Gore's campaign.
Regardless of the outcome in
Florida, the election appears to be the
closest in history.
As of 4:30 a.m., with 96 percent of
precincts reporting nationwide, fewer
than 70,000 votes of about 95 million
cast separated the Democrat and
Republican candidates.
"The race is simply too close to
call. Until this is resolved, our cam-
paign continues," Gore campaign
chairman Bill Daley told the crowd
in Nashville. Bush campaign officials
had not addressed the media or the
crowd in Austin, Texas, at press time.
Gore conceded the election to
Bush in a phone call at 2:30 a.m., but
after the Florida margin narrowed,
Gore retracted his phone call just as
he was seemingly poised to address
supporters and accept defeat.
It was an incredible political spec-
tacle by any standard.
TV networks projected Bush the
winner, igniting GOP celebrations in
Austin. An hour later, the conclusive
vote they cited in Florida had tight-
ened.
Supporters in Nashville chanted,
"Recount!"
Republicans maintained precarious
control of Congress as the GOP bid
to hold the House, Senate and presi-
dency for the first time in 46 years.
In the most dramatic election in
decades, it all came down to Florida.
AP's analysis showed the narrowest
See PRESIDENT, Page 8
AP PHOTO
Vice President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush were busy late into the night on Election Day - and their campaigns are not done yet.
Vice president taes Mchigan
Unofficial results
As of 4:30 a.m.
Gore wins state with help
}from UAW workers on Election
Day holiday
DETROIT (AP) - Vice President Al Gore cap-
tured Michigan's critical 18 electoral votes yesterday
behind efforts that included a first-ever UAW holiday
and an active get-out-the-vote effort in Detroit that
sought to send more Democratic voters to the polls.
An exit poll by Voter News Service, a partner-
ship of The Associated Press and television net-
works, showed that Gore would win enough votes
in Michigan to defeat GOP Texas Gov. George W.
hush in the state.
With 79 percent of precincts reporting, Gore had
1,678,472 votes, or 51 percent, to Bush's 1,556,978
votes, or 47 percent.
The candidates, their running mates and family
members traveled the state often in pursuit of Michi-
gan's electoral votes, a prize that could give either the
winning margin in the tightest presidential race in 40
years.
Bush had turned to his good friend Gov. John
Engler to get out the vote as the race went to the
wire. Late Tuesday night, Engler had refused to
acknowledge Gore as Michigan's victor and said
"let's wait until all the numbers are in," then later
voiced disappointment at Bush's setback in
Michigan.
"Well, yes, I wanted to be the one that puts
George Bush over the top. Now it looks like it's
going to be his younger brother (Florida Gov.) Jeb
Bush who's going to put him over the top," Engler
said about 12:30 a.m. today as the electoral vote tal-
lies pressed on.
Both Bush and Gore secured their partisan bases
and were nearly even in drawing independents,
according to the exit poll.
It found that Gore drew strong backing from key
Democratic constituencies - blacks, organized
labor and liberals - and from voters who considered
themselves better off financially than they were four
years ago.
See MICHIGAN, Page 8
Popular vote
Gore: 46,946,702
Bush: 46,876,476
Nader, 2,548,567
Michigan
Gore: 1,678,472
Bush: 1,556,978
N d.r: 70,039,
Electoral College
270 needed to win
Gore: 249
Bush: 246
Stabenow leads Abraham
for Michigan Senate seat
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LOCAL COVERAGE
M Democrat John Hieftje will
become Ann Arbor's next
mayor after coming out on
top in a three-way race for
theo en seat.
U. .Rep. Lynn Rivers
doubles GOP challenger Carl
rry's votes to win her
~urthterm in Congress.
Results of local state House Kolb
races, including Chris Kolb's
win to retain the 53rd District seat for the
Democrats.
Page :5
STATENEWS
School vouchers were roundly defeated by
ichigan voters as Proposal 1 fails.
Proposal 2, which limits state authority in
matters that affect local
governments, also fails.;
Page 7
NATIONAL RESULTS
By Hanna LoPatin
and Jeremy W. Peters
Daily Staff Reporters
"It's not over yet. We're going to keep
hanging on.
- Spence Abraham
Michigan hockey coach
DETROIT - In what was perhaps
the closest Senate race in the nation,
U.S. Rep.
ict.Senate D e b b ie
Stabenow Dem.1,686,514 Stabenow
Abraham GOP 1,673,765 appears to
As- of 3:30am h a v e
edged out incumbent Spence Abraham
and in doing so, narrowed the Republi-
can majority in the Senate to one of the
smallest in decades.
As of 3:30 a.m., the race was tied at
49 percent each for Stabenow and
Abraham, with Stabenow having a
slight lead in the total number of votes
cast.
"I have to tell you that until we see
some final numbers we can't officially
declare this - but it sure looks good,"
Stabenow said just after midnight to a
crowd at the Democratic victory party
in Detroit. "It's going to be a while
See SENATE, Page 8
Sen. Spence Abraham speaks with his wife Jane at the
Holiday Inn hotel In Lansing last night.
Early returns give no clear winner in regent race
By Jen Fish
and Lisa Koivu
Daily Staff Reporters
board, is being watched closely for a num- field Hills led Republican candidates
ber of reasons. Susy Avery of Grand
Of particular concern has Universit oRapids and Wendy Ander-
been speculations that this of Reents son of Commerce Town-
race is a referendum on ship. McGowan had 25
academic freedom and the McGowan Dem. 1,060,794 percent, Deitch had 24
University's participation in Deitch Dem. 1,007,036 percent and Anderson and
the affirmative action law- Anderson GOP 933,437 Avery each had 22 per-
Aunu rAD l (11 (1l
Deitch just behind with 27 percent.
"I'm hopeful I'll win," Deitch said
from his home early this morning.
Deitch added he was confident that
Detroit voters would support the Democ-
ratic incumbents.
"The city of Detroit votes overwhelm-
ingly Democratic. I wouldn't begin to
As of 2 a.m. early this morning, the
hotly contested race for two seats on the
University Board of Regents are still in
doubt.
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