Democrats Gain in Michigan and Ohio

Related Content

Election Results

• Sans Shays, GOP Is Hibernating in Northeast
• Democrats Post Big Gains Throughout Mid-Atlantic
• Obama Coattails Prevail in N.C. and Va. Races
• Obama’s Coattails a Bit Short in Plains States
• And Now for Something Completely Different
• Democrats Are Mountain High in Colorado
• Alaska’s GOP Houdinis May Escape
• Casualty List
• Election Map: State-by-State Results

Print

E-Mail

Reprints

Text Size

Latest News

• Lincoln’s Saturday Timing Puzzles Colleagues
• Senate Democrats Score Major Victory
• Republicans Continue to Challenge Health Bill
• Greg Ball Drops Out of New York Race
• Democrats Line Up 60 Votes to Start Debate

In the 16th district, where Rep. Ralph Regula (R) is retiring, Democratic state Sen. John Boccieri, a military reservist, beat fellow state Sen. Kirk Schuring (R) by an 8-point margin.

The verdict in the Columbus-based 15th district, long held by retiring Rep. Deborah Pryce (R), appears to still be out. Pryce narrowly escaped defeat in her 2006 race against Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy (D), and Kilroy had her sights set on winning the open seat this year.

As of press time, state Sen. Steve Strivers (R) was ahead of Kilroy, up 12,500 votes — but the race had not been called.

Elsewhere, perennial target Rep. Jean Schmidt (R), won her contest in the Cincinnati- based 2nd district 45 percent to 37 percent.

All Indiana incumbents proved safe on election night, despite the state flipping to the Democratic column in the presidential election.

Two Hoosier districts — the 8th and the 9th — have long been known for hard-fought Congressional battles, but this year’s contests were not squeakers. In the fourth rematch between Rep. Baron Hill (D) and former Rep. Mike Sodrel (R), Hill earned a resounding 58 percent of the vote, a big increase from the 50 percent he got in 2006. Sodrel garnered 39 percent this cycle.

Hill now returns to Washington for a second-consecutive term, and a fifth term overall. He lost to Sodrel by 1,425 votes in 2004.

In the district affectionately dubbed the “Bloody Eighth” in southwestern Indiana, Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D) coasted to a second term against a lightweight candidate, university lobbyist Greg Goode (R).

Rep. Mark Souder (R), whose Fort Wayne-based 3rd district would in most years be considered reliably Republican, grew increasingly vulnerable closer to Election Day and found himself a late-breaking DCCC target. But Mike Montagano’s (D) campaign never really materialized, and Souder earned an eighth term by a 15-point margin of victory.

Many eyes were turned to Minnesota on Tuesday as Sen. Norm Coleman (R) waged a closely fought battle with Democratic challenger Al Franken. At press time, the race was too close to call even though Coleman had a very narrow lead. The race will now go to an automatic recount.

In the House, Republicans had a good night, holding all of their seats in the Gopher State.

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R), who suddenly became more vulnerable after making controversial remarks during a television interview, succeeded in winning a second term in the 6th district. Bachmann aired a television ad addressing the gaffe in the final week of the campaign, telling voters, “I may not always get my words right, but I know that my heart is right.” Voters answered the plea, and elected Bachmann to a second term 46 percent to 44 percent against former state Transportation Commissioner El Tinklenberg (D).

State Rep. Erik Paulsen (R) won his campaign against Iraq War veteran Ashwin Madia (D) to keep the 3rd district seat safely in Republican hands, despite hard-fought Democratic efforts to take over the suburban Twin Cities district. Paulsen, who won the race 48 percent to 41 percent, will succeed retiring Rep. Jim Ramstad (R), who is stepping down after nine terms.

Rep. Tim Walz (D), who only seemed vulnerable because of his first-term status, also won re-election with 63 percent of the vote. Fellow freshman Democratic Rep. Steve Kagan of Wisconsin also coasted to a second term, winning his Appleton-based seat easily.