In the End, Pivotal Races Tipped to Democrats
State Democrats and Mollohan fought back hard, claiming that Wakim owned a bar that illegally paid winnings on video poker machines. Wakim's campaign said the practice was commonplace, but negative advertisements eroded the Republican challenger's momentum.
Mollohan also had a clear fundraising advantage. He raised about $1,173,000, while his challenger raised about $585,000. Political observers say it's very likely, however, that Mollohan could face a strong challenge again two years from now, especially if the ethics controversy heats up again. Danielle Knight
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