Via the News & Observer, Miller v. Johnson:

RALEIGH - Rep. Brad Miller of Raleigh took an early lead Tuesday night in his race for a second term in the U.S. House, taking strong support over his GOP challenger in the heavily Democratic 13th District.

With 24 of 201 precincts reporting, Miller, a Democrat, had 59 percent to Virginia Johnson's 40 percent.

Miller, a 51-year-old lawyer, has focused on the working poor in his district, which stretches along the Virginia line between Raleigh and Greensboro and suffered heavy job losses in the textile, tobacco and furniture industries.

As the results started to trickle in Tuesday, he was on his way back from a final campaign stop in Wake Forest.

Johnson, 45, of Greensboro, campaigned harder than many expected in the 13th, where Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly 2-to-1. Born in Reidsville, she has never held public office but spent eight years as a counsel to the House Ethics and Armed Services committees. She often noted on the campaign trail that Miller had helped draw the 13th's boundaries while leading a redistricting committee in the state Senate.

In September, she won an endorsement from U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who stumped for her that month and said Miller "drew his district by hand, for himself." Johnson also worked hard to portray herself as a social conservative with appeal to Democrats and Republicans.

There's still room for this to swing, but several of the counties in this district have already gone for Kerry.

[Cross-posted at PS.]