Republicans on track to keep state House majority

DETROIT (AP) - Though many votes remained to be counted early today, Democratic and Republican House leaders said it appeared that Republicans have won their first back-to-back majorities in the House since the 1960s.

House Speaker Chuck Perricone (R-Kalamazoo Township) said the Republicans were able to retake the House in consecutive sessions for the first time since 1960 and 1962 by focusing on constituents.

"We focused on getting out to voters in an off-year and that means knocking on doors from the day you are elected," Perricone said from a Republican party at the Michigan Chamber of Commerce in Lansing.

He also attributed the Republicans' staying power to getting bills signed into law, rather than merely moving them to the state Senate for consideration.

Going into yesterday's elections, Republicans held a 58-52 edge in the House, the governor's office and majorities in the Senate and the state Supreme Court.

Democrats needed to win four more seats to regain the House majority and get a say in how congressional and legislative district lines are drawn next year after the 2000 census is counted. Redistricting could decide which party holds the most power for the next decade.

Minority Leader Michael Hanley (D-Saginaw) said he is certain the Republicans will redraw district lines next year to favor their party.

Hanley attributed his party's failure to retake the House to a presidential race that did not provide any coattails for state offices and losing the House majority in 1998.

"Well, this all started in 1998," Hanley said. "We didn't have the advantage of incumbency. There's not much more to say."

Perricone and Hanley could not run again because of term limits.

Dozens of House incumbents held off challengers yesterday, including Republican Rep. Lauren Hager of Port Huron, who beat his Democratic attorney Dave Oppliger, to represent the 81st District for a second two-year term.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Hager received 13,451 votes, or 56 percent. Oppliger received 10,696, or 44 percent.

The Port Huron seat had been targeted by Democrats and featured a number of negative campaign ads, including one newspaper ad that poked fun at the incumbent's environmental record, calling him "Hager the Horrible."

Other incumbents also faced a tough re-election. Muskegon Republican Rep. Gerald Van Woerkom was leading his opponent, Democrat Steve Habetler, with 86 percent of precincts reporting in the 63rd District. Van Woerkom had 17,522, or 54 percent of the vote, and Habetler had 14,914, 46 percent.

With 36 of 43 precincts reporting in the 94th District, Republican Rep. Jim Howell was leading hairdresser and Birch Run Township trustee Cheryl Hadsall with 61 percent of the vote. Howell had 21,169 votes and Hadsall got 13,405.