9:28 p.m. McCain, Obama race tests Missouri bellwether status

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s reputation as a presidential bellwether was on the line Tuesday in a close contest between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain.

In early election returns, McCain was slightly ahead of Obama. But that included virtually no results from the state’s most populous area of St. Louis County, where Democrats tend to fare better than Republicans and where long lines meant voters were still casting ballots into the night.

In rural counties reporting complete results, McCain generally was winning by smaller margins than Republican President George Bush did four years ago. Buchanan County, home of St. Joseph, swung from red to blue, with Obama winning by a few dozen votes over McCain — a contrast to Bush’s 52 percent victory there in 2004.

The winner of Missouri historically has won the White House.

Only once in the past 104 years have Missourians voted for the losing presidential candidate. That occurred in 1956, when Democrat Adlai Stevenson claimed Missouri over Republican President Dwight Eisenhower by a margin of fewer than 4,000 votes out of 1.8 million cast.

But Missouri has had plenty of close elections, before and after then.

Aware of those facts, both McCain and Obama put a heavy emphasis on Missouri.

Obama spent more than $1.2 million on ads and McCain about $900,000 in Missouri in the final week alone, according to Democratic and Republican strategists. Both campaigns employed a heavy get-out-the-vote effort with door-to-door canvassing and phone calls.

Obama and running mate Joe Biden made 23 appearances in Missouri since Obama edged out Hillary Clinton in the state’s Feb. 5 presidential primary. McCain and running mate Sarah Palin attended 18 Missouri campaign events since McCain won the state’s presidential primary in a close three-way contest against Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney.