Steve Largent lost his run to become Oklahoma governor, but Mitt Romney won the governor's race in Massachusetts in two of the the most high-profile elections involving prominent sports figures.

Largent, a former congressman and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was beaten in a close contest in which he was once a heavy favorite. The 48-year-old Republican lost to 39-year-old state Sen. Brad Henry, a Democrat.

"We defied all odds,'' Henry told supporters Tuesday night.

In the closest Oklahoma guberatorial race in 32 years, Henry won by just 6,357 votes.

Largent, a star with the Seattle Seahawks from 1976-89, waited until Wednesday to concede defeat.

"We were the heavy favorite, and the underdog won,'' he said. "That happens in life, that happens in athletics and that happened in politics last night.''

Largent served 3½ terms in Congress. He might have lost key votes to independent candidate Gary Richardson, but Henry's victory still was regarded as an upset. He received only 28 percent of the vote in a five-candidate primary but went on to upset millionaire businessman Vince Orza in a runoff.

Henry also was aided by some football celebrity, as former Oklahoma Sooners coach Barry Switzer campaigned at his side.

The candidates were trying to succeed Republican Gov. Frank Keating, who was barred by term limits from seeking a third term.

Romney drew on his performance as chief organizer of the Salt Lake City Olympics to defeat Democratic state Treasurer Shannon O'Brien for Massachusetts governor.

In the House of Representatives, two Republicans with strong sports pedigrees were easily re-elected.

Jim Ryun, once the world-record holder in the mile, defeated Democrat Dan Lykins in Kansas, and former Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne earned more than 90 percent of the vote without even campaigning on TV or radio. He did not face a Democratic challenger.

"He can sit in his living room, watch TV and drink beer from now on ... and still win,'' said Osborne's opponent, Libertarian Jerry Hickman.

Also, Republican Rick Renzi, captain of the Northern Arizona football team that won the 1979 Big Sky Conference title, defeated Democrat George Cordova for a new seat in Arizona.

J.C. Watts, the quarterback who led Oklahoma to two straight Orange Bowl victories, is leaving his Oklahoma congressional seat. Ryun is seeking a Republican leadership post held by Watts.

Romney presided over an Olympics that IOC president Jacques Rogge called a "superb job,'' although it was an event preceded by a bribery scandal and jolted by a figure skating judging scandal.

Romney, a 55-year-old former venture capitalist, is the son of former Michigan Gov. George Romney. His only previous political experience was an unsuccessful 1994 bid to unseat Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy.

Democrats tried to knock him off the ballot even before his campaign got going. They contended he didn't meet state residency requirement because of his time in Utah, but the challenge was rejected.

"What we've accomplished today and over the last eight months has been extraordinary,'' Romney said.

In other races: