The Midwest

President Clinton’s good fortunes were presaged when Ohio fell into his column early in the evening; no Republican has ever won the presidency without carrying that state. Bob Dole countered by carrying the closely contested state of Indiana. Republicans scored a key Senate victory in Nebraska, wresting away a seat left vacant by a Democratic retirement. But Democrats made a gain in South Dakota, defeating GOP Sen. Larry Pressler. In a House race in Illinois, Democrats defeated Republican freshman Michael Patrick Flanagan, who two years ago had ousted veteran Democrat Dan Rostenkowski.

ILLINOIS

* President --With 93% of votes counted:

*--*

Clinton 2,152,816 55% Dole 1,437,815 37% Perot 315,290 8%

*--*

* Senate--In a contest for a seat vacated by Democrat Paul Simon, Democrat U.S. Rep. Richard J. Durbin defeated the GOP’s Al Salvi and four minor-party candidates.

* House--Democrats won at least 10 of the 20 contests. Incumbent Democrat Jesse Jackson Jr. easily defeated Libertarian Frank Stratman. Michael Patrick Flanagan became Chicago’s first GOP congressman in more than 30 years when he beat scandal-weakened Dan Rostenkowski two years ago; this time, he lost to state Rep. Rod Blagojevich. Democrat Sidney Yates won his 24th term in Congress at age 87. He faced Republican Joseph Walsh, who offered $1,000 to the first person to spot Yates in his district. (Yates’ doorman won the prize).

INDIANA

* President --With 98% of votes counted:

*--*

Clinton 860,427 41% Dole 996,165 48% Perot 214,818 10%

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* House--Republicans won at least five of 10 races. Democrat Julia Carson became the state’s first black representative, defeating Republican Virginia Blankenbaker for an open seat. Ed Pease won the state’s other open seat, keeping a 50-year Republican lock on it alive.

* Governor--Democratic Lt. Gov. Frank O’Bannon won a close, costly race for an open seat against Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith, a Republican.

* Other--Crime victims were granted greater participation in court proceedings. Voters also approved a constitutional amendment to allow public pension funds to invest in stock market.

IOWA

* President --With 98% of votes counted:

*--*

Clinton 610,300 50% Dole 487,104 40% Perot 102,063 8%

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* Senate--Democrat Tom Harkin held on to his seat for a third term, rewriting challenger GOP Rep. Jim Ross Lightfoot’s history of winning unlikely races. There were four other candidates in the race.

* House--Republicans won at least two of five races, with GOP incumbent Jim Leach defeating Democrat Bob Rush and two others.

KANSAS

* President --With 97% of votes counted:

*--*

Clinton 378,349 36% Dole 564,931 54% Perot 91,062 9%

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* Senate--Both Senate seats were open, and both were retained by the GOP. Rep. Pat Roberts defeated Democratic state Treasurer Sally Thompson and two other candidates to succeed retiring Nancy Landon Kassebaum. Freshman Rep. Sam Brownback defeated moderate Democrat Jill Docking and Reform Party candidate Donald Klaassen to fill the remaining two years of Bob Dole’s term.

* House--Republicans won at least two of four seats. One-time Olympic track star Jim Ryun, a Republican, defeated amateur marathoner John Frieden, a Democrat, and Libertarian Art Clack.

MICHIGAN

* President --With 58% of votes counted:

*--*

Clinton 1,123,337 50% Dole 895,046 40% Perot 215,224 10%

*--*

* Senate--Eighteen-year Democratic incumbent Carl Levin defeated the GOP’s Ronna Romney, one-time daughter-in-law of the late Michigan governor, and four minor-party candidates.

* House--Republicans won at least five of 16 seats at stake. Democratic incumbent John Conyers Jr. defeated Republican William Ashe and four others. Democratic Whip David E. Bonior and veteran Democrat John D. Dingell were reelected.

MINNESOTA

* President --With 71% of votes counted:

*--*

Clinton 835,416 52% Dole 558,260 35% Perot 184,285 11%

*--*

* Senate--Incumbent Democrat Paul Wellstone again beat Republican Rudy Boschwitz, the man he pushed out of the Senate six years ago. Boschwitz had labeled him “embarrassingly liberal.”

* House--Democrats won at least four of eight races, including that of incumbent Democrat Bruce F. Vento over the GOP’s Dennis Newinski and three others. Incumbent Democrat Martin Sabo also defeated Republican Jack Uldrich and two others.

MISSOURI

* President --With 97% of votes counted:

*--*

Clinton 980,346 48% Dole 838,787 41% Perot 205,655 10%

*--*

* House--Democrats won at least five of nine contests. JoAnn Emerson, widow of Republican Rep. Bill Emerson, won an independent bid against Democrat Emily Firebaugh and Republican Richard Kline. House Democratic leader Richard A. Gephardt defeated Republican Deborah Wheelehan and two others. Rep. Harold Volkmer lost his seat in a hard-fought rematch against Republican Kenny Hulshof.

* Governor--Incumbent Democrat Mel Carnahan rolled over Republican state Auditor Margaret Kelly and Libertarian Mark Oglesby to win a second term.

* Other--Voters rejected a proposal to raise the minimum wage to $6.25 an hour.

NEBRASKA

* President --With 88% of votes counted:

*--*

Clinton 202,702 34% Dole 315,636 53% Perot 66,968 11%

*--*

* Senate--Republican businessman Chuck Hagel came from behind to beat Democratic Gov. Ben Nelson and two other candidates for the seat vacated by Democrat J. James Exon.

* House--GOP incumbents Doug Bereuter, Jon Christensen and Bill Barrett all won reelection.

* Other--Voters rejected plans to limit property taxes and make education the state’s highest budget priority.

NORTH DAKOTA

* President --With 92% of votes counted:

*--*

Clinton 101,248 40% Dole 117,356 47% Perot 30,578 12%

*--*

* House--Incumbent Democrat Earl Pomeroy defeated Republican Kevin Cramer and independent Kenneth Loughead for the state’s only House seat.

* Governor--GOP incumbent Edward Schafer easily defeated Democratic state Rep. Lee Kaldor.

OHIO

* President --With 99% of votes counted:

*--*

Clinton 2,079,986 47% Dole 1,809,490 41% Perot 465,645 11%

*--*

* House--Republicans took at least 11 of 19 races. GOP incumbent John A. Boehner defeated Democrat Jeffrey Kitchen, while House Budget Committee Chairman John R. Kasich beat Democrat Cynthia Ruccia. Democrat Dennis Kucinich, the onetime “boy mayor” of Cleveland, unseated two-term Republican Martin R. Hoke. Democrat Ted Strickland defeated incumbent Republican Frank Cremeans; Creamens had defeated Strickland in 1994.

* Other--Voters turned down a state constitutional amendment that would have allowed up to eight riverboat casinos on the Ohio River and Lake Erie. Gov. George Voinovich had denounced the boats as “the crack cocaine of gambling.”

SOUTH DAKOTA

* President --With 92% of votes counted:

*--*

Clinton 129,422 43% Dole 141,522 47% Perot 28,915 10%

*--*

* Senate--Democratic Rep. Tim Johnson defeated third-term incumbent Republican Larry Pressler in one of the hardest-fought races in the nation.

* House--The state’s only seat was up for grabs, with Republican John Thune defeating Democrat Rick Weiland, former aide to Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle, and two independents.

WISCONSIN

* President --With 92% of votes counted:

*--*

Clinton 993,069 49% Dole 772,516 38% Perot 207,988 10%

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* House--With nine seats at stake, Democrats and Republican each won at least two. TV news anchor and Democrat Jay Johnson beat GOP Assembly Speaker David Prosser for an open seat.

* Other--Voters barred felons or those convicted of misdemeanor violation of public trust from running for state or local office without a pardon.