Kerry concedes, four-more years of Bush

With 96 percent of the nation’s precincts reporting Sen. John Kerry called President George W. Bush shortly after 11 a.m. to concede the race for the White House, The Associated Press reports.

Kerry is expected to give a concession speech at 1 p.m.

Bush was leading with 254 electoral votes. Bush was leading in Ohio, New Mexico and Iowa states, which are worth 32 electoral votes. To win presidency 270 electoral votes are needed.

Kerry, who had 252 electoral votes, grabbed Wisconsin early Wednesday to pull within 20 electoral votes.

At 3:34 a.m. the AP reported that Kerry had won Michigan. With 88 percent of the precincts reporting Kerry had 2,132,389 votes, or 51 percent, while President Bush had 2,032,215 votes, or 48 percent. Independent candidate Ralph Nader had 20,980, or 1 percent.

Ohio will be the difference with its 20 electoral votes.

Iowa, New Mexico and Ohio won’t be decided until sometime Wednesday. Bush was leading New Mexico by 1,000, the AP reported. Bush was carrying Iowa by more than 15,000 with one precinct of the votes to be counted today.

Ohio could take weeks to decided a winner, the AP reports. Provisional ballots, those cast by people whose qualifications to vote were challenged, could make the difference.

Bush, was planning to declare victory early Wednesday morning but with three states still undecided the incumbent didn’t speak to supporters.

In the 98th District State House race, incumbent John Moolenaar was declared the winner, CM Life has learned, gaining 18,519 votes to Stacy Jones’ 8,683.

CMU Board of Trustees member Melanie Foster is second with 24 percent of the statewide vote for a seat on the Michigan State University Board of Trustees. With 95 percent of the precincts in, Republican Joel Ferguson had 1,946,895 votes, or 25 percent, followed by Foster, a Republican with 1,848,635 votes followed by Democrat Phil Thompson with 1,810,442, or 23 percent, in third. Republican Randall Pittman with 1,754,133 or 22 percent, the AP reported.

The Lansing State Journal projects Ferguson has secured his re-election and Foster is closing on a return to the MSU board, where she served a short stint from 1990-1992.

In the race for the State House’s 4th District Seat Rep. Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland, won re-election with 66 percent of precincts reporting, Camp had 64 percent. Democrat Mike Huckleberry had 35 percent, the AP reported.