Cassidy leads Senate count with one-half of boxes reporting; Edwards, Graves neck and neck in 6th District

Challenger Bill Cassidy had 43 of the U.S. Senate primary vote Tuesday night with about half the precincts counted. Incumbent Mary Landrieu had 38 percent.
Landrieu, a Democrat, is seeking her four term; Cassidy gave up a U.S. House seat to run as the leading Republican challenger.
The Louisiana seat is a pivotal one in the national parties' bid for control of the Senate. About $30 million has been spent in the campaign.
In other headliner contests, former Gov. Edwin Edwards, a Democrat, had 28 percent of the vote in the 6th Congressional District race with about half the boxes counted. Garret Graves, Republican, had 30 percent.
In the hotly-contested 5th District, Jamie Mayo, 29 percent, Zach Daser, 23 and Ralph Abraham, 22 led the large field of candidates with three fourths of the boxes reporting. Incumbent Vance McAllister had 13 percent.