ORIGINAL ARCHITECT OF ONLINE GAMBLING CASH BAN VOTED OUT OF CONGRESS

9 November 2006

Leach concedes defeat in US mid-term elections

The US politician who originated the idea of disrupting online gambling for Americans by attacking the financial channels used to fund gambling accounts, Representative Jim Leach (64) was removed from Congress power by Iowa voters this week.

The veteran Republican politician conceded victory to Democratic Party challenger Dave Loebsack in a close-run contest for the 2nd District congressional seat.

Loebsack, 53, of Mount Vernon, is a political science professor at Cornell College. His campaign platforms included raising the minimum wage, health-care reform and offering more Pell grants to students. He also supported a one-year timetable to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq, and promised to support investigations into impeachable offenses by President George W. Bush.

Democrats took control of the House Tuesday night for the first time in more than 10 years.

Republican Leach, 64, has served 30 years in Congress since his election as 1st District representative in 1976. In 2001 he moved to Iowa City, which is in the 2nd District. Leach is no stranger to close elections. He was re-elected in 2002 with 52 percent of the vote.

Early this morning (Wednesday) with 281 out of 326 precincts reporting statewide, Loebsack led with 51.37 percent of the vote to Leach’s 48.63 percent, according to the Iowa Secretary of State’s office.

Leach’s campaign manager, Gary Grant, said that despite the close race, and regardless of the final tally, Leach had no plans to challenge the race.

During his re-election campaign, Leach called Internet gambling legislation —-making it illegal for banks or credit card companies or agents such as PayPal to settle an online wager —- one of his proudest accomplishments.

Online Casino News courtesy of InfoPowa

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