CONGRESS: CONDIT LOSES HOUSE RACE.

Byline: Staff and Wire Services

Rep. Gary Condit lost to a former aide in Tuesday's Democratic primary after an underdog campaign in which he couldn't shake free of the scandal over a missing Washington intern.

Assemblyman Dennis Cardoza pulled away in the closely watched race, leading 2-to-1 everywhere but in Condit's home county.

With most of the precincts reporting, Cardoza held a strong lead, with Condit running second. Four other candidates split the rest.

Ignored by his fellow Democrats and unable to shake the scrutiny of his relationship with intern Chandra Levy, Condit for the first time had to invest his own money in his campaign.

``I have done my job as a congressman. I have conducted myself as a gentleman,'' Condit told a crowd of reporters after voting in Ceres. ``The only thing different is the intrigue of what's happened over the last summer and the fact that you're all here.''

Condit's stiffest challenge came from Cardoza, his 42-year-old protege and former friend. The Republican primary in the 18th Congressional District was a four-way contest.

Condit, 50, campaigned like never before in a reconfigured district that now includes an urban slice of Stockton along with its largely rural base, a district in which 40 percent of the voters had never seen his name on a ballot.

Condit discussed issues at coffee shops, knocked on doors in the final days and shook just about any hand that reached out to him. The son of a Baptist preacher, Condit took to the pulpit at an African-American church, met with Muslims and even spread his message on Spanish-language airwaves in a bid to reach the multicultural electorate.

It was too little, too late for some longtime Condit supporters who switched to Cardoza.

``I think still to this day I would have kept my vote for him if he had spoken sooner about the Levy situation,'' said Sylvia Vela of Modesto.

Others stood by him on Tuesday.

``I'm a Christian. God forgives us. I forgive him,'' said Sam Threet of Modesto, who nevertheless said Condit should have been more forthcoming about his relationship with Levy.

With Cardoza outspending him 3-to-1, Condit was forced to loan his campaign $50,000 to send out mailers in the final week.

A year ago none of this would have seemed possible.

In Southern California, House incumbents faced easier going in Tuesday's primaries.

Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, was leading, based on early returns, in a re-election race against West Hollywood businessman Kevin Feldman in a new district that includes more of the San Fernando Valley than Waxman's old district.

Rep. Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon, R-Santa Clarita, was leading, based on early returns, against fellow Republican James O. ``Jim'' Aldrich, a part-time professor at California State University, Northridge.

Other House incumbents in the area had no opponents in the primary.

Staff Writer Jason Kandel contributed to this report.

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Rep. Gary Condit, D-Calif., talks to the media after voting Tuesday in Ceres, Calif. Condit was considered a shoo-in for re-election before his involvement with missing intern Chandra Levy.

Paul Sakuma/Associated Press