War Room - Salon.com

Wednesday, Mar 5, 2008 12:42 EST

Paul, Kucinich survive primary challenges

The two fringe presidential candidates faced, and won, races for their House seats.

With their presidential runs, two of this cycle's fringe candidates had put their day jobs at risk. Both Reps. Ron Paul, R-Texas, and Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, faced primary challenges on Tuesday, and both were in greater danger than they had been previously as their opponents hammered them for their presidential runs. But when the smoke cleared, both Paul and Kucinich emerged victorious, and by large margins.

Paul faced off against Friendswood City Councilman Chris Peden; his victory against Peden was a landslide, as he took the primary with 70 percent of the vote to Peden's 30 percent.

Kucinich faced four challengers; the most serious of them was a Cleveland city councilor, Joe Cimperman. Kucinich captured 50 percent of the vote to Cimperman's 35 percent.