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Politics

Changes sweep nation

By TIMES WIRES
Published November 9, 2006

Alabama

HOUSE: There were no changes in Alabama's House delegation, as incumbents - five Republicans and two Democrats - won all seven races on the ballot.

Alaska

HOUSE: Republican Don Young, Alaska's sole congressman since 1973, easily beat Democrat Diane Benson to secure his 18th term in Congress.

GOVERNOR: Republican Sarah Palin, a former mayor of Wasilla, became the first woman elected governor of Alaska, defeating Democrat Tony Knowles with 49 percent of the vote to his 41 percent. At 42, Palin also becomes the youngest governor in state history.

Arizona

PROPOSITIONS: Voters rejected a ban on gay marriage, making Arizona the first state to do so. Ballot questions also passed approving a higher minimum wage, a strict statewide smoking ban and a higher tobacco tax.

Arkansas

GOVERNOR: Democratic Attorney General Mike Beebe defeated Republican Asa Hutchinson, a former head of the Drug Enforcement Administration and top federal Homeland Security official. The two sides raised more than $9.6-million, making this the most expensive governor's race in state history.

California

HOUSE: In one of the state's few competitive House races, Democrat Jerry McNerney defeated incumbent Republican Richard Pombo.

PROPOSITIONS: A federal judge on Wednesday blocked enforcement of Proposition 83. The ballot measure, passed overwhelmingly by voters on Tuesday, is meant to crack down on sex offenders, including limiting where they can live. The measure was known as Jessica's Law, in memory of Jessica Lunsford, who was abducted from her Citrus County home and killed last year.

Colorado

PROPOSITIONS: By about a 2-1 ratio, voters defeated a measure that would have allowed adults 21 and older to possess as much as 1 ounce of marijuana. Voters also passed a ballot measure to ban same-sex marriages.

HOUSE: Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave bucked the national trend and defeated Democrat Angie Paccione.

Connecticut

HOUSE: Democrats targeted three Republicans - 60 percent of the small state's congressional delegation - and unseated two. Nancy Johnson, a 24-year House veteran who chairs the Ways and Means health subcommittee, was defeated by Democrat Chris Murphy. GOP Rep. Rob Simmons fell to former state Rep. Joe Courtney. Republican Rep. Christopher Shays, however, won a hard-fought match with Democrat Diane Farrell.

Delaware

STATE CABINET: Democrat Beau Biden, son of six-term Democratic Sen. Joe Biden, was elected as the state attorney general, defeating Republican Ferris Wharton.

Georgia

HOUSE: In a close race, Democrat incumbent Jim Marshall claimed victory in the House District 8 race. Marshall led Republican challenger Mac Collins by 2,007 votes out of 158,617 cast, according to unofficial totals on the Georgia Secretary of State's Web site. Another Republican, Max Burns, bucked the national trend and defeated Democratic incumbent Rep. John Barrow.

Hawaii

HOUSE: Democrat Mazie Hirono easily defeated Republican challenger Bob Hogue, keeping Hawaii's Congressional delegation all-Democrat.

Idaho

HOUSE: Republican Bill Sali narrowly defeated Democratic tech executive Larry Grant for Idaho's open 1st District congressional seat.

GOVERNOR: Republican C.L. "Butch" Otter won the race for governor, defeating Democratic newspaper publisher Jerry Brady after a nail-biting night of delayed election returns.

Illinois

HOUSE: Democratic newcomer Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran who lost both of her legs in combat, fell short in her bid to win the House seat being vacated by Rep. Henry Hyde, a 32-year House veteran. Republican Peter Roskam defeated her.

Indiana

HOUSE: Democrats targeted three Republican incumbents and defeated all three. The Democrats' chief target, Rep. John Hostettler - who once linked abortion to breast cancer - lost his re-election bid to Democrat Brad Ellsworth, a popular sheriff.

Iowa

LEGISLATURE: Five Republican incumbents were defeated in Tuesday's election, giving control of the Legislature to Democrats for the first time in 14 years. Unofficial results show Democrats with a majority of 54 seats in the 100-member state House, and controlling 30 of 50 seats in the state Senate.

HOUSE: Democrats knocked off 15-term Republican Rep. Jim Leach and also won the seat vacated by former Rep. Jim Nussle. Democrat Dave Loebsack, a political scientist at Cornell College, defeated Leach by fewer than 6,000 votes.

Kansas

HOUSE: Republican Rep. Jim Ryun - the track great who once held the world record in the mile - was defeated by Democrat Nancy Boyda.

GOVERNOR: Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat in a GOP-leaning state, easily won a second term, becoming the first woman in state history elected to serve a second term.

Kentucky

HOUSE: Democrat John Yarmuth, a liberal former newspaper columnist, downed Bush loyalist Anne Northup, and freshman GOP Rep. Geoff Davis denied former Rep. Ken Lucas' bid to regain his old seat.

Louisiana

HOUSE: Saddled by a federal bribery investigation, Rep. William Jefferson was forced into his first runoff since winning the 2nd Congressional District seat 16 years ago. He will square off against state Rep. Karen Carter in what's likely to be a bruising campaign between the two New Orleans Democrats.

Maine

SENATE: She's a Republican in a traditionally Democratic state, but Sen. Olympia Snowe easily won a third term over a Democrat and an independent who never gained traction against the well-financed, moderate incumbent.

GOVERNOR: Democratic Gov. John Baldacci defeated Republican state Sen. Chandler Woodcock.

Maryland

HOUSE: Lt. Gov. Michael Steele - Maryland's first black official elected statewide - won't be its first black senator. The Republican lost to Democratic Rep. Ben Cardin in the race for an open seat.

GOVERNOR: Democrat Martin O'Malley, the Baltimore mayor, unseated GOP Gov. Robert Ehrlich.

Massachusetts

SENATE: Ted Kennedy easily won an eighth term that will extend his Senate career to an even 50 years in 2012.

GOVERNOR: Democrat Deval Patrick became the first black person elected governor of Massachusetts, defeating GOP Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey.

Michigan

SENATE: Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow easily defeated Detroit-area Sheriff Michael Bouchard.

GOVERNOR: Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm withstood a challenge from GOP millionaire Dick DeVos.

Minnesota

SENATE: Democratic prosecutor Amy Klobuchar defeated Rep. Mark Kennedy for the state's open Senate seat.

HOUSE: Democrat Keith Ellison became the first Muslim ever elected to Congress.

GOVERNOR: Incumbent Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty claimed a narrow re-election victory over Attorney General Mike Hatch.

Mississippi

CONGRESS: Republican Sen. Trent Lott won his fourth term with only a token challenge, and the rest of the state's congressmen coasted through the campaign.

Missouri

SENATE: Democrat state auditor Claire McCaskill narrowly defeated GOP incumbent Sen. Jim Talent in a key Senate victory for Democrats.

PROPOSITIONS: Missourians approved a ballot measure to protect stem cell research.

Montana

SENATE: Republican Sen. Conrad Burns, dogged by ties to disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, was upset in a close race by Democrat Jon Tester, a state senator and farmer.

Nebraska

SENATE: Republican Pete Ricketts spent some $12-million of his Ameritrade fortune in a failed battle against Sen. Ben Nelson - one of President Bush's favorite Democrats.

HOUSE: Republican Adrian Smith held off Yale-educated ranch hand Scott Kleeb of Dunning, a Democrat, to win the seat vacated by Rep. Tom Osborne.

GOVERNOR: GOP Gov. Dave Heineman defeated Democrat David Hahn.

Nevada

SENATE: Republican incumbent John Ensign defeated newcomer Jack Carter, a Democrat and the son of former President Jimmy Carter.

GOVERNOR: Republican incumbent Jim Gibbons survived a last-minute scandal and a tough year for Republicans to keep the Nevada governorship in Republican hands for four more years, defeating liberal Democrat Dina Titus. Chrissy Mazzeo, a 32-year-old Vegas cocktail waiter, had accused Gibbons of assaulting her in a parking garage. Police are still investigating the allegations.

New Hampshire

HOUSE: Two Republican incumbents went down to defeat. Democrat Paul Hodes ousted Rep. Charles Bass, and Democratic challenger Carol Shea-Porter defeated incumbent Rep. Jeb Bradley.

New Jersey

SENATE: An attack-ad battle ended with Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez victorious over Republican Tom Kean Jr.

New Mexico

HOUSE: The outcome of one of the nastiest campaigns in New Mexico political history won't be known until Friday, when Bernalillo County Clerk Mary Herrera said she expects to have results from more than 2,698 provisional and 1,058 in-lieu of ballots. GOP Rep. Heather Wilson and Democrat Patricia Madrid, the state's attorney general, were in a near dead-heat, as only 1,395 votes separated the candidates, with Wilson in the lead.

GOVERNOR: Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson beat Republican challenger John Dendahl.

New York

SENATE: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton routed her conservative Republican challenger for a second six-year term.

HOUSE: Democrats picked up three seats, two of which had been held by GOP incumbents. Democrat John Hall, a founding member of the rock band Orleans, defeated Rep. Sue Ann Kelly, and Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand defeated GOP Rep. John Sweeney

North Carolina

HOUSE: Former college and NFL quarterback Heath Shuler, a Democrat, upset veteran GOP Rep. Charles Taylor, a banker and timber baron.

ALSO: In Durham, District Attorney Mike Nifong won re-election, despite criticism over his handling of the Duke lacrosse rape case.

North Dakota

SENATE: Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad trounced the farmer Republicans put up against him.

HOUSE: Democratic Rep. Earl Pomeroy, who also has Washington clout and a big campaign war chest, beat a Republican farmer.

Ohio

SENATE: Republican Sen. Mike DeWine was defeated by Democrat Sherrod Brown.

GOVERNOR: Democrat Ted Strickland took the governor's office despite a nasty campaign of character-bashing by Republican Ken Blackwell.

Oklahoma

GOVERNOR: Democratic Gov. Brad Henry defeated Republican Rep. Ernest Istook.

HOUSE: Three-term GOP Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin, running for Istook's seat, became the first Oklahoma woman elected to Congress since 1920.

Oregon

GOVERNOR: Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski held off Republican Ron Saxton.

Pennsylvania

HOUSE: Democrats knocked off four Republican incumbents. Losing were Reps. Curt Weldon, Don Sherwood, Mike Fitzpatrick and Melissa Hart.

SENATE: State Treasurer Bob Casey, a Democrat opposed to abortion and gun control, shook the landscape by beating Rick Santorum, the No. 3 Senate Republican.

GOVERNOR: Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell beat Republican Lynn Swann, the Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame receiver.

Rhode Island

SENATE: Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse defeated incumbent Lincoln Chafee by linking him to the White House.

GOVERNOR: Republican Gov. Don Carcieri, narrowly won re-election, defearing Democrat Lt. Gov. Charlie Fogarty by 2 percentage points.

South Carolina

GOVERNOR: Republican Gov. Mark Sanford, who peeved many party regulars with his libertarian leanings, still beat out Democratic state Sen. Tommy Moore.

LEGISLATURE: Republicans maintained control of the state Legislature. Democrats scored a net gain of one seat in the House.

South Dakota

HOUSE: Democrat Stephanie Herseth kept her House seat.

PROPOSITIONS: South Dakota voters defeated a ballot measure that would have enacted the nation's strictest abortion ban

Tennessee

SENATE: Republican Bob Corker, the former mayor of Chattanooga, defeated Democratic Rep. Harold Ford Jr. in a close race marked by controversial ads.

GOVERNOR: Governors in Tennessee are nearly invincible, and Democrat Phil Bredesen was no exception. He turned aside a little-known GOP challenger.

Texas

SENATE: Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's close ties to President Bush didn't hurt her in his home state; she sailed past an underfunded Democrat.

HOUSE: The seat once held by Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was captured by Democrat Nick Lampson. To pick the Republican candidate, Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, voters had to write her name in. Not enough did.

GOVERNOR: Republican Gov. Rick Perry won re-election, with voters weeding through a crowded ballot that included the likes of independent Kinky Friedman, a comedian/singer/writer.

Utah

SENATE: Utah's songwriting senator, 72-year-old Republican Orrin Hatch, became the longest-serving senator in state history by winning a sixth term. He won easily over Democrat Pete Ashdown, an Internet entrepreneur making his first run at public office.

Vermont

SENATE: Vermont traded independents - self-described socialist Rep. Bernie Sanders defeated Republican opponent Richard Tarrant to take the seat held by retiring Sen. James Jeffords.

GOVERNOR: GOP Gov. Jim Douglas defeated Democrat Scudder Parker, a former state senator and state Democratic Party chairman.

Virginia

SENATE: Late Wednesday, the race between incumbent Republican Sen. George Allen Democrat Jim Webb remained undecided. The Associated Press called the race in favor of Webb on Wednesday, but there was no official word. With the candidates only about 7,000 votes short, a recount was possible. If Webb does win the seat, it would clinch control of the Senate for the Democrats.

Washington

HOUSE: Democrat Darcy Burner, a former Microsoft program manager, hoped to oust first-term Rep. Dave Reichert. As of late Wednesday, the race remained too close to call, with Reichert holding a slim lead of about 2,000 votes.

West Virginia

SENATE: Robert C. Byrd, the Senate's longest-serving member, won a record ninth term, defeating John Raese, the GOP nominee.

Wisconsin

SENATE: The millionaire owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, Democratic Sen. Herb Kohl, cruised to a fourth term over Republican and Green Party opponents.

PROPOSITIONS: Voters approved a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.

Wyoming

SENATE: Wyoming was assured of at least one Republican office-holder, with the victory of Sen. Craig Thomas over Democrat Dale Groutage.

HOUSE: Rep. Barbara Cubin was in danger of losing the seat she has held for 12 years to Gary Trauner, a well-funded Democrat.

GOVERNOR: Democratic Gov. Dave Freudenthal defeated Republican Ray Hunkins.

[Last modified November 9, 2006, 05:21:49]