VIDALIA, La. &045; President Bush claimed 60 percent of the vote in Concordia Parish Tuesday, while David Vitter took 51 percent of the vote in the senate race in the parish.

Nearly 9,000 people voted in the parish presidential race, a number Clerk of Court Clyde Ray Webber said may have been higher without the rain but was still good.

Unofficial results gave Bush 5,426 to John Kerry’s 3,446.

Vitter led Chris John by 1,881 votes, 4,306 to 2,425, or 51 percent to 29 percent.

In the fifth congressional district race for U.S. Representative Rodney Alexander led the parish 4,516 or 60 percent to Zelma Blakes 2,073 or 27.8 percent.

Webber said Tuesday’s election ran smoothly with no major voting problems.

&uot;It went a lot smoother than I thought it would,&uot; he said. &uot;I didn’t get any complaints today and I’m really pleased with how it went.&uot;

Webber said the lack of any controversial local elections cut down on some of the tension in the parish.

Parish voters did vote in favor of renewing the Concordia Parish School Board 13 mill tax for 10 years. The tax passed in every precinct and overall by 71.5 percent.

School district Business Manager Tom O’Neal said he was elated with the success of the tax.

&uot;Any time you win a tax issue with 70 percent you’ve done well,&uot; he said. &uot;But we’ve done what we said we would do (in the school district).&uot;

A 1 percent sales tax for the town of Ferriday also passed with 65.5 percent of the vote.

Other issues on the ballot included:

4 Amendment No. 1 for the right of every citizen to hunt, fish and trap, which passed with 91 percent of the vote.

4Amendment No. 2, homestead exemption form ad valorem property, which passed with 86 percent of the vote.

4Amendment No. 3, the eligibility for veterans for civil service, which passed with 86.5 percent.

4Amendment No. 4, the Louisiana farmers and fisherman support of industries, which received 50.7 percent of the vote.