The Associated Press

FRANKFORT - Democrat Ben Chandler ended a losing streak for his party Tuesday, winning a U.S. House seat formerly held by the Republican who defeated him for the governorship in November.

Chandler handily defeated Republican State Sen. Alice Forgy of Lexington, as well as Libertarian candidate Mark Gailey of Berea.

"I know what it's like to be on the other side and it feels pretty good to be on this side tonight," said Chandler, who had lost the governor's race by 10 percentage points to Ernie Fletcher.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Chandler had 84,545 votes, or 55 percent. Kerr had 65,774 votes, or 43 percent. Gailey had 2,957 votes, or 2 percent. Turnout among the district's 441,931 registered voters was 34 percent.

Chandler will serve the remainder of Fletcher's term. He also is on the ballot for the May primary election.

"The voters have spoken, and Central Kentucky has a new voice in Congress - an independent voice," Chandler told supporters in a victory speech at a National Guard armory in Richmond. "It's been a wild ride for me and my family the last year and a half."

Chandler had never tasted defeat until the loss to Fletcher. He had been elected to statewide office three times - as state auditor in 1991, then as attorney general in 1995 and 1999.

He presented himself as a fiscal conservative in order to run in the 6th District, which registers mostly Democratic but tends to vote Republican.

Fletcher won the seat in 1998. Chandler carried 14 of 16 counties against Kerr, including her home, Fayette.