Former Republican Rep. Duke Cunningham’s guilty plea for taking bribes proved not enough to sway voters in California’s 50th Congressional District special election to vote Democrat. Republican Brian Bilbray defeated Democrat Francine Busby 49.5 to 45.3 percent, with 96 percent of precincts reporting, in the heavily Republican district.

Democrats had hoped that a win by Busby would be a harbinger of a national shift towards Democrat candidates. While Busby ran on the issue of Republican ethical problems in Washington, Bilbray campaigned on the issue of illegal immigration.

A last minute quip by Busby—she told an audience of Hispanics that her supporters did not need “papers” in order to help with her campaign—drew howls from conservative talk radio and commentators and may have driven more Republicans to vote. link

The NRCC is spinning the race as a defeat for the Democrat’s “Culture of Corruption” campaign. But as with the special Ohio race last summer in which a Democrat came within four points of defeating a Republican, other observers find the fact that Busby came close in a Republican district impressive.

In other California races Tuesday, state Treasurer Phil Angelides beat Steve Westly in the Democrat primary for governor. He faces Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in November. Voters also rejected a ballot measure that would have raised taxes on the rich to fund universal preschool for state residents.