Split tickets help Warner win Senate

About a quarter of voters who said in exit polling they consider themselves Republican voted for Mark Warner for the U.S. Senate seat left open by retiring Republican John Warner. The two Warners are not related.

Nearly 30 percent of those who said they voted for Republican Sen. John McCain for president split the ticket, backing Warner instead of Republican Jim Gilmore.

Mark Warner also received overwhelming support from those who said they were concerned about the economy, the war in Iraq and President Bush’s performance.

Nearly half of voters said they considered themselves moderates, and about three-fourths of those backed Mark Warner. He also was favored among the quarter who called themselves independents.

Brief by The Associated Press