U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., has advanced to a primary election run-off despite facing trial on public corruption charges, election returns show.

Jefferson, who has held his New Orleans congressional seat for 18 years, will face former television anchorwoman Helena Moreno in a Nov. 4 run-off for the Democratic Party primary for Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune reported Sunday.

Jefferson, 61, led the seven-candidate Democratic field with 25 percent of the vote, followed by Moreno with 20 percent with 482 of 492 precincts reporting late Saturday, the newspaper said.

The general election will be Dec. 6, two days after Jefferson's federal trial on 16 counts of public corruption relating to his business dealing is scheduled to begin.

On Saturday, Jefferson appeared with his wife and daughters at a New Orleans restaurant and thanked supporters for sticking with him.