A Late Sack In Sac

A late entry in the Best Result of the 2012 election contest:

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Republican Rep. Dan Lungren lost his re-election bid to Democratic challenger Ami Bera on Thursday in one of California's most hotly contested congressional contests, but the congressman refused to concede.

Voters from the Sacramento suburbs ousted the veteran lawmaker in the race for the state's newly redrawn 7th Congressional District. This was the second attempt for Bera, a 45-year-old physician who failed to unseat Lungren two years ago.

Bera was defeating Lungren by nearly 5,700 votes, or 51.1 percent to 48.9 percent, with about 38,000 provisional and vote-by-mail ballots outstanding in Sacramento County. The 7th Congressional District covers part of the county. The Associated Press made the call Thursday.

Seeing Lundgren always made me want to paraphrase Henry II: "Will no one rid me of this oleaginous mope?"