Jennings drops suit over '06 election

A Democratic candidate has dropped a lawsuit over her 369-vote loss in a 2006 congressional race because a federal investigation will meet the same goals as the court case, her lawyers said.

Christine Jennings withdrew the suit in state court Monday as the Government Accountability Office, an investigative arm of Congress, began testing electronic voting machines she claims malfunctioned in Sarasota County last year.

State testing failed to disclose any problems that could explain why the touch-screen machines failed to register results from up to 18,000 voters in the 13th District race.

State officials declared Republican Vern Buchanan the winner, and Jennings challenged the result in court and the House of Representatives.

The withdrawal does not affect a pending court challenge by 11 voters.

Republicans hailed Jennings' decision as a victory. "While Christine Jennings finally did the right thing by giving up her frivolous lawsuit, it comes a year too late," said Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer.

Jennings was traveling Wednesday and not immediately available for comment.