U.S. Representatives James R. Langevin and Patrick J. Kennedy will return to Washington for new terms after wide victories over two Republican challengers who had little financial backing or name recognition.

Voters in Rhode Island’s 2nd Congressional District assured Langevin a fifth term in Congress by more than a 2-to-1 ratio over challenger Mark Zaccaria of North Kingstown. With 97 percent of precincts reporting, Langevin took 70 percent of the vote over Zaccaria’s 30 percent.

In the state’s 1st Congressional District, Kennedy won his eighth term, soundly defeating Jonathan Scott of Providence by almost 3 to 1. With 96 percent of the precincts reporting, Kennedy took 69.2 percent of the vote to Scott’s 23.7 percent. Independent Kenneth Capalbo garnered 7.1 percent.

In 2006, Scott won 23 percent of the vote after raising and spending little more than $9,500 against Kennedy’s $2.2-million war chest. This year, Scott, a former group home counselor, said he hadn’t raised enough money to have to file regular fundraising reports with the Federal Elections Commission.

Both Zaccaria and Scott waged uphill battles against popular, well-financed incumbents.

Zaccaria, a 59-year-old former corporate executive, campaigned on a message that Langevin has held on to his seat more by voter inertia than from a proven track record of accomplishments.

“I think I have articulated why I would be a better representative in Congress, but I don’t know how many people have heard that,” said Zaccaria. “That’s where money comes in, right?”

After his win, Langevin said: “I am anxious to get back to work, to get Rhode Island back to work, to create jobs and to get our economy back on track.” He also called for providing health care to the 47 million Americans without it and to free the country’s dependence on foreign oil. “America has always been tested and challenged,” he said. “These are our challenges. The best is yet to come.”

“You will definitely see me again,” Zaccaria said. “Without a doubt, I will be a candidate for that seat in two years.”

Langevin, 44, has devoted much of his energy in Congress to attempts to pass universal health-care coverage, similar to a plan offered to federal employees, and homeland security.

A member of the Intelligence Committee, he cited the need for reliable intelligence when he voted in June to extend, with new restrictions, a Bush administration surveillance program that most House Democrats opposed.

When he announced his reelection bid, Langevin said that getting the economy back on track and ending U.S. involvement in Iraq would also be key issues during his next term.

In the 1st District race between Kennedy and Scott, the biggest news of the campaign was what didn’t happen.

Kennedy declined to debate Scott, providing fodder for Scott’s charges that Kennedy treated his seat like an entitlement while depriving his constituents of an exchange of viewpoints.

Kennedy defended his actions, saying “usually debates are about people trying to discover [what] people’s records are. … daresay, mine is probably about the best known of anybody’s record in the state, so debates are usually, at this stage, theater and gotcha games and opportunities. If that’s what it’s going to be about, then I’m not going to be part of that.”

Kennedy, who is 41 and a member of the powerful Appropriations Committee, hails the recent passage of his long-sought mental-health parity bill as “the crown of my legislative success stories so far.” Scott , also 41, acknowledged last month that he hadn’t worked full-time since sometime in 2004-05, that he garnered no support from the GOP, nor had any money for paid ads or fliers.

Kennedy, meanwhile raised $1.4 million in the last two years, employed a team of consultants and campaign staffers and spent about $200,000 in the last three weeks on television ads.

— With staff reports by Linda Borg

tmooney@projo.com