Really Quick and Dirty Updates on the States: Part 2

• Montana
  • Was there any reason for voters to show up just to vote for the state’s lone congressional seat?
  • Montana State House flipped control to the GOP.
• Nebraska
  • All Nebraska incumbents were reelected keeping the delegation solid Republican.
• Nevada
  • Harry Reid survives with roughly 50% while his son Rory loses.
  • Republicans reclaim NV by beating freshman Rep. Dina Titus (D).
• New Hampshire
  • The GOP regained the two House seats swept away in 2006 Democratic landslide.
  • Both New Hampshire State House and Senate flipped control to the GOP.
• New Jersey
  • With all 13 House members running again there was only 1 upset coming from the former NFL player Jon Runyan (R).
• New Mexico
  • New Mexico elected female Hispanic Susana Martinez as governor.
  • Republicans reclaimed a House seat in the 2nd district.
• New York
  • Republicans won big for New York winning 5 Democratic controlled House seats.
  • Andy Cuomo (D) won the governorship as expected.
• North Carolina
  • Sen. Richard Burr (R) won with a healthy lead of about 12%.
  • Only 1 incumbent lost, securing Renee Ellmers (R) as the lone North Carolina freshman.
  • Both North Carolina State House and Senate flipped control to the GOP.  The State Senate is in Republican majority for the first time since reconstruction.
• North Dakota
  • Senator-elect John Hoeven (R) helped boost a turnout that toppled nine-term Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D ND A/L).
• Ohio
  • Both the Senate and Governor seats went Republican.
  • Republicans flipped 5 seats from Democrat to Republican, 1st, 6th, 15th, 16th, and 18th districts.
  • Rep. John Boehner (R OH 8) the de facto speaker in waiting.
  • Ohio State House flipped control to the GOP.
• Oklahoma
  • Dan Boren (D) won by about 12%. Is it a big enough margin to convince other Democrats to reject party caucus leaders on business issues?
  • Rep. Frank Lucas (R OK 3) is in line to chair the Agriculture Committee.
• Oregon
  • The “enthusiasm gap” didn’t appear to apply in this all-mail ballot state.
  • Anti-incumbent trend didn’t touch Oregon’s races.
  • Rep. Greg Walden (R OR 2) has assumed a more visible role as GOP policy messenger.
• Pennsylvania
  • The GOP picked up 5 seats all due to Governor-elect Tom Corbett leading the ticket. 3rd, 7th, 8th, 10th, and 11th districts.
  • Had the Pennsylvania Business Community not supported Tom Corbett’s initial run for Attorney General in 2004 he would not be on the ticket and the above seats would most likely have not changed.
  • Pennsylvania State House flipped control to the GOP.
• Rhode Island
  • Openly gay mayor of Providence, David Cicilline (D) won the Democrat open seat.
  • For the first time in over 60 years there will no longer be a Kennedy in Congress.
  • Independent Lincoln Chafee wins the gubernatorial race with about 36% of the vote.
• South Carolina
  • Rep. John Spratt (D SC 5) lost in the expected GOP turnout for the top of the ticket.
  • Republicans won 5 seats, the 1st, 2nd 3rd, 4th & 5th districts.
• South Dakota
  • Rep. Stephanie Herseth-Handlin (D SD A/L) lost the so-called “battle of the babes” with Kris Noem (R).
• Tennessee
  • Republicans pick up open Democratic seats in the 6th and 8th districts as expected and unexpectedly in the 4th district, displacing Lincoln Davis (D).
• Texas
  • Rick Perry (R) wins the gubernatorial race by roughly 12% of the vote making him the “grandpa” of the governors as he is the longest serving governor.
  • Rep. Chet Edwards (D TX 17) lost to straight ticket voting instead of ideological differences.
• Utah
  • In the tsunami wave of the GOP, Blue Dog Jim Matheson (D UT2) holds onto his seat because split-ticket voters recognize his bi-partisan voting record on health care and cap & trade.
  • Jason Chaffetz wins with almost 75% of the vote against a lifelong Republican-turned Democrat. Could he be using 2010 as a way to test the waters for a convention/primary challenge against Senator Orrin Hatch?
• Vermont
  • The Gubernatorial race is still too close to call but Peter Shumlin (D) has roughly 3,000 more votes than Republican Brian Dubie as of 7:00 AM.
• Virginia
  • Republicans pick-up 3 House seats in the 2nd, 5th, and 9th districts.
  • Rep. Eric Cantor (R VA 7) is GOP minority whip and will likely be the majority leader.
• Washington
  • Republicans won in a Democratic open seat in WA 3 with under 40, female Hispanic state legislator Jaime Herrera.
• West Virginia
  • Republican ad dollars were unsuccessful in tagging Governor Joe Manchin (D) as a clone of Obama.
  • Republicans pick-up the 1st district seat with David McKinley.
  • Rep. Nick Rahall (D WV 3) will no longer chair the Natural Resources Committee.
• Wisconsin
  • The September/October polls were correct in showing Sen. Russ Feingold behind by 10-12 points. He lost by roughly 5%.
  • Republicans picked up the 7th and 8th districts after winning both the governor and Senate races.
  • Rep. Paul Ryan (R WI 1) has eagerly tackled entitlements and should chair the Budget Committee.
  • Both Wisconsin State House and Senate flipped control to the GOP.
• Wyoming
  • In a race that lacks any drama, less than 200,000 voters show up to the polls.