Tea Party congressman reelected despite abortion scandal

Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.) was projected to win a second term Tuesday night with 57 percent of the vote, according to CNN.

Polls showed DesJarlais in a dead heat with Democratic state Sen. Eric Stewart in mid-October after news broke that DesJarlais, an anti-abortion-rights doctor, had an affair with a patient and then urged her to have an abortion.

Stewart had 43 percent of the vote at 1 a.m., CNN reported.

“The voters have spoken," he said in a statement.

"I'm proud of the campaign we ran. We talked about fighting for working families, keeping promises we made to our seniors about Medicare and Social Security, and giving our men and women in uniform the support they need and deserve. The fight for those things hasn't ended, even though my campaign for Congress has."

DesJarlais was elected in the Tea Party wave that swept the House in 2010.

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