Republicans keep US House seat in California

SAN DIEGO, June 7 (Reuters) Republican Brian Bilbray won a hard-fought battle for a US House of Representatives seat in California that was viewed as a possible early sign of voter sentiment ahead of November's midterm elections, West Coast radio station KCBS said today.

Bilbray narrowly defeated Democrat Francine Busby in yesterday's special election to replace Randy Cunningham, a former Republican congressman who was imprisoned for taking bribes.

REUTERS SHB PM1551