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While a Congressman in 1986, Bill Nelson launched his public profile by riding aboard the space shuttle. That profile is again in high orbit since Nelson beat Bill McCollum for the Senate seat held the past two terms by retiring Republican Connie Mack. Nelson, 58, Florida's state insurance commissioner, painted McCollum, a 10-term Congressman best known for his ferocious prosecution of President Clinton during the impeachment trial, as an extremist, out of step with Florida voters, and accused him of passing himself off as a moderate during the campaign. Nelson's platform included preserving Social Security and offering Medicare-provided prescription-drug benefits, issues that played well with Florida's significant elderly population.
--By Michele Orecklin
CHUCKING ROBB George Allen, Republican, Virginia
George Allen, the amiable, tobacco-chewing son of a former Washington Redskins coach, ran a penetrating offense to unseat two-term Democrat and onetime party phenom Charles Robb. Allen, 48, portrayed the wonkish and sometimes wooden Robb as ineffective during his Senate tenure and too liberal to defend "Virginia values." Both Allen and Robb are former Virginia Governors credited with galvanizing their parties. Allen is a dyed-in-the-wool conservative who favors tax cuts and small government and opposes most gun-control laws (in a reversal of his position, he now supports a federal ban on assault weapons). He has said he would allow abortions only if heartbeats or brain waves are undetectable in the fetus or in the case of danger to the health of the mother. --M.O.