Brian Bilbray

U.S. Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Carlsbad) held on to win the 50th Congressional District Wednesday, defeating Democratic challenger Nick Leibham 50 percent to 46 percent.

Leibham made it a close race, but in the end the incumbent Bilbray won the right to head back to the U.S. Congress for his second term representing the San Diego-area district.

As of 3 a.m. Wednesday, the race for the 50th Congressional District is still too close to call.

With about 64 percent of precincts reporting, U.S. Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Carlsbad) is leading Democratic candidate and San Diego-area attorney Nick Leibham by less than 4 percent. Still, Bilbray's campaign was confident of their chances to pull out the victory.

With clouds giving way to sunshine, the campaigns in California's 50th Congressional District are expecting huge turnout throughout the San Diego suburbs.

HUNTINGTON BEACH - The biggest surprise of this election might just come from Southern California, where many long-time incumbents are now facing their first serious challengers in years due to a combination of Democratic gains in voter registration, an unusually strong field of candidates and a nationally toxic environment for Republicans.

In particular, Democratic challengers in the 45th, 46th and 50th Congressional Districts have given U.S. Reps. Mary Bono Mack (R-Palm Springs), Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) and Brian Bilbray (R-Carlsbad) a run for their money.

The latest early voting numbers from the San Diego County Registrar of Voters show registered Republicans outpacing Democrats in the 50th Congressional District by 11 percent of all early voters.

As of Thursday, 83,198 San Diego residents in the 50th had voted early. Of those voters, 38,326 were registered Republicans, compared with 29,127 Democrats and 15,745 Independents.

While his opponent, Democrat Nick Leibham, airs ads telling U.S. Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Carlsbad) that he "should be ashamed," the incumbent congressman has kept positive on TV with an ad highlighting his reformer credentials.

"Brian Bilbray has been a leading voice for ending our dependence on foreign oil and creating clean, alternative energy," a narrator says, "even before it was cool."

In his latest attack ad, Democratic congressional candidate Nick Leibham tells voters that "I approve this message to bring responsible leadership to Washington for a change."

"Brian Bilbray, denounced by a four-star general for abandoning our veterans," a narrator begins.

Retired Gen. Joe Hoar comes on to say, "Congressman Bilbray, you should be ashamed."

So far, this ad is no different, down to the quote from Gen. Hoar, from Leibham's last TV spot attacking Congressman Brian Bilbray (R-Carlsbad) for voting against a new GI Bill.

In a new mail piece sent out to voters in the 50th Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Carlsbad) accuses Democratic opponent Nick Leibham of wanting "to serve pork to special interests on a silver platter."

Retired General Michael I. Neil, former Marine commander at Camp Pendleton, has authored a letter to San Diego residents in the 50th Congressional District that tries to set the record straight for Congressman Brian Bilbray on veterans issues.

The letter is a response to an ad by Bilbray's opponent, Democrat Nick Leibham, in which another retired general, former four-star Gen. Joe Hoar, admonishes Bilbray for purportedly voting against the revamped GI Bill.

Last week, the campaign of Democratic congressional candidate Nick Leibham turned some heads with an internal poll that showed him trailing U.S. Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Carlsbad) by only two points.

Monday, the firm that conducted the poll, Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, followed up with a detailed memo explaining why the survey's results prove that Leibham can win the conservative-leaning 50th Congressional District. The firm also argued that Leibham, a San Diego area attorney, has a better shot than former Democratic challenger Francine Busby, who narrowly lost to Bilbray in a June 2006 special election to replace disgraced Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham.