WASHINGTON: Insurgent US "Tea Party" conservatives scored another big upset victory Tuesday, as a political novice romped over a veteran lawmaker to become the Republican champion in the fight for Vice President Joe Biden`s old senate seat.
With 99 percent of precincts reporting, unofficial results showed Christine O`Donnell beating popular moderate Representative Mike Castle by a 53.1-46.9 percent margin and US media called the race for the relative unknown.
O`Donnell, who survived charges of past financial improprieties, harnessed anti-establishment anger and rode an endorsement from former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin to a stunning victory.
Despite the "Tea Party" exuberance, the results handed Democrats a lifeline in their uphill struggle to hold Biden`s seat, still a reach amid deep voter anger at the sour economy and unemployment near 10 percent.
Recent opinion polls had showed Castle expected to cruise to victory over Democratic county executive Chris Coons, who leads O`Donnell amid establishment Republican predictions that she cannot win in November.
"He`ll win the general election. She won`t," Tom Ross, chairman of the state`s Republican Party was quoted as saying in the Washington Post this week.
Tea Party members scoffed at such predictions, and some analysts have warned Democrats that they underestimate the potential threat from the movements` energized supporters at their own peril.
BDST: 0938 HRS, September 15, 2010
