Bush wins Nevada, Colorado; Gore takes California, Hawaii

Texas Gov. George W. Bush has won Nevada and Colorado and Vice President Al Gore has won the electoral vote-rich state of California as the 2000 presidential race appears to hinge on Florida and its 25 electoral votes. The result is a stunningly tight race in the Electoral College, with CNN estimating Gore has 231 electoral votes and Bush has 229. Two hundred seventy electoral votes are needed for a candidate to become president. Election returns are pouring in tonight as Bush and Gore continue to carve up the electoral map after hours of nail-biting anticipation and frequently changing leads. The newest Gore victories and the change in Florida's status are the latest twists in a see-saw presidential contest. Bush's wins, CNN estimates, include his home state of Texas, Gore's home state of Tennessee, West Virginia, Missouri, Utah, Idaho, Montana and New Hampshire. CNN also estimates that he has taken Ohio, Louisiana, Georgia, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming -- the home state of his vice presidential running mate, former Defense Secretary Dick Cheney. Gore has won the coveted swing states of Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Illinois, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Connecticut, Hawaii and the District of Columbia.