Republicans needed a net gain of 39 seats to take control of the House; they likely will have a net gain of nearly 60, according to several projections. However, vigorous campaigning during the last few weeks seem to have halted the Republican advances at the very gates of the Senate–the Democrats will now hold on to the Senate.
[Election 2010]
The Republican hope to seize control of both houses of Congress was pushed back this morning when the Democrats managed to retain control of the Senate, with a reduced majority.
Republicans needed a net gain of 39 seats to take control of the House; they likely will have a net gain of nearly 60, according to several projections.
The GOP needed at least a net gain of 10 seats to take over control of the Senate. However, vigorous campaigning during the last few weeks seem to have halted the Republican advances at the very gates of the Senate–the Democrats will now hold on to the Senate.
Republican gains are one of the highest in recent years. The Democrats’ highest net gain of House seats was in 1948, when they wrested 75 seats from the Republicans.
In a surprise, the much-maligned Harry Reid defeated his Tea-Party backed opponent, Sharon Angle, who employed the worst type of race-baiting and anti-Latino ads in her desperate campaign to unseat the Senate majority leader.
Senator Reid once again earned his reputation as a tenacious fighter with the best get-out-the votes machine perhaps of all elected officials. The Tea-Party had set up their own victory party at the same hotel where Reid had booked his own celebtration. The veteran Reid’s victory sent Tea-Party members scampering behind doors when they realized there would be no celebration for them at the hotel that night.
Democrats will retain control of the Senate with a significantly reduced majority. In several important and closely watched Senate races, such as in Pennsylvania, and in Illinois, the Republicans picked up those senate seats.
The Pennsylvania victory is important because it’s a major swing state important for the general election. The Illinois seat is symbolically important because it’s president Barack Obama’s old senate seat.
Now the challenge is up to Republicans to show that they can govern or offer any significant legislation.
Meanwhile, in an interesting proposition, in California, voters turned back marijuana legalization with a 56% to 44% vote.
“Speaking Truth To Power.”
