Texas Governor George W. Bush has taken the lead over Vice President Al Gore in the latest tallies from this week's presidential vote in New Mexico, Democratic and Republican party officials said early Saturday.
Ballot counting was continuing, but leaders from the state's Republican and Democratic parties said that both their counts show Bush leading, although by different counts.
Republican chairman John Dendahl said Bush leads by 17 votes.
"All I've got to say is 'Viva Bush'," he said. "It's no landslide, but we've had a long way up."
Meanwhile Democratic chairman Diane Denish said her count showed Bush leading by four votes, with 189 "provisional ballots" yet to be counted.
Official state Bureau of Elections figures late Friday still showed Gore leading by more than 9,500 votes.
Since midday Thursday, as uncounted ballots were discovered in the Albuquerque area, Bush has steadily closed the gap, according to information coming from party officials watching the count at a county warehouse on the south side of Albuquerque -- ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (AFP)
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