WASHINGTON Pollsters are projecting that four members of the restaurant industry have won seats in the U.S. Congress, while votes are still being counted in three other races involving members of the industry.
But the industry's strong early showing -- four victories in the first four contests whose votes were tallied -- was followed by apparent defeats in New Mexico and Alabama. CNN projected shortly after midnight that Ed Tinsley, a principal in the K-Bob's Steakhouse chain and a longtime director of the National Restaurant Association, had been defeated by oilman Harry Teague. At Nation's Restaurant News' Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference last month in Washington, Tinsley asserted on stage that his opponent had been funded with contributions from organized labor. Published reports indicate that Tinsley had received at least $200,000 from the NRA.
Meanwhile, the networks have yet to declare a winner of the House seat for Alabama's 2nd District, where Subway area developer Jay Love is facing off with Montgomery mayor Bobby Bright Sr. The race appears to be a virtual dead heat, with both candidates ascribed 50 percent of the vote.
John Fleming, a doctor who owns Subway and Dairy Queen franchises, won his Republican Party runoff in Louisiana's 4th District with 56 percent of his party's vote. In the district's Democratic showdown, Paul Carmouche prevailed with 62 percent of the vote.
Many of the congressional winners appear to be part of a Democratic onslaught led by president-elect Barack Obama, who was projected by the major broadcast networks to have won the White House race at roughly 11:15 p.m. EST.
At that time, the Democrats appeared to have picked up five seats in the Senate from their Republican rivals. The newcomers include Mark Warner, co-owner of Majestic Café in Alexandria, Va., and one-time governor of his state. He was handily elected to fill the seat that was vacated by the retirement of legendary Republican senator John Warner. The Warners are not related.
Restaurant owners or operators returning to Capitol Hill include Rep. John Yarmuth, a co-owner of the Sonny’s BBQ chain, which his brother leads as chief executive. Yarmuth, a Democrat, beat Anne Northup 57 percent to 43 percent in Kentucky’s 3rd District.
Incumbent Dan Boren, also a Democrat, landed roughly 70 percent of the vote in his contest to represent Oklahoma’s 2nd District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Boren is a co-owner of two Roly Poly wrap restaurants.
Ken Calvert, the Republican incumbent fro California's 44th District, won 53 percent of the vote to defeat Democratic challenger and former teacher Bill Hedrick. Calvert owns Mill Creek BBQ and Good Fellow's Cafe and is a former operator of several fine-dining restaurants.
Set to join them in the House next January is Tim Rooney, scion of the Pittsburgh Steelers-owning Rooney family and the operator of restaurants and bars at Florida dog racing tracks, which he also owns. Rooney landed 61 percent of the vote from Florida’s 16th District to oust Democratic incumbent Tim Mahoney. Despite Rooney’s involvement with on-site feeding, the National Restaurant Association’s Political Action Committee had contributed to Mahoney’s campaign.