Seven whites and the two black incumbents won seats.

The Federal plan also worried black leaders because it would siphon minority voters from the districts of black incumbents and place them in the new Hispanic districts.

Three others are replacing retiring or defeated black incumbents, making the net increase in the number of black members 13, the largest single increase since Reconstruction.

Some black incumbents have been more worried about being re-elected than about winning a legislative majority for the issues their constituents care about.

These districts were drawn largely to conform to the spirit of the Voting Rights Act without jeopardizing incumbents, white or black.

In all five races, the black incumbents raised more money than their opponents.

Civil rights leaders said that black incumbents benefited along with white incumbents.

Today's elections in those two districts were seen as tests of whether black incumbents could win in white districts where racially polarized voting has been the norm.

He pledged not to run against black incumbents, and said, "Anything less than statewide office, they won't have to worry about me."

Alarmists worried that the redrawn districts would cause wholesale defeat of the newly elected black incumbents.