House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has easily won re-election to a 12th term representing San Francisco, overcoming a challenge from anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan.
Pelosi is well ahead in early returns from absentee ballots.
Sheehan became famous for camping outside President Bush's Texas ranch to demand an end to the war in Iraq after the death of her son, Casey. She accused Pelosi of failing to end the war and not allowing impeachment hearings against President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
In a statement after polls closed, Sheehan didn't concede defeat but vowed to run again in 2010. She accused the media of ignoring her and criticized Pelosi for not debating her.
Pelosi released the following statement on her reelection as Representative of the 8th District of California:
"Thank you San Francisco. I am grateful for your support and honored by your trust.
This is an historic moment for our country. Across this nation, people voted their hopes and aspirations."
Local
For her part, Sheehan did not bother to tone down the rhetoric in her post-election statement to her supporters.
"Cindy for Congress never once sold out our solid principles and issues-based campaign and would never sell out the voters of San Francisco like Nancy Pelosi has," Sheehan said. "Nancy Pelosi never ran a campaign here, but she did run from my campaign and our demands to debate. Yet we persevered and did so amazingly well after a near total media black out and several attempts at political intimidation."
Also on the ballot were Republican Dana Walsh and Libertarian Philip Berg.
