Illinois Is GOP’s Only ‘Trophy’ Senate Win
Republicans swept the Midwest region Tuesday night, winning every contested Senate race, including the grand prize of President Barack Obama’s former seat in Illinois.
GOP Rep. Mark Kirk bested Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) in one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate races. Kirk’s win gives Republicans another vote during the upcoming lame-duck session, since he also won a special election to replace appointed Sen. Roland Burris (D) , who for 22 months has served out Obama’s remaining term. Kirk could be sworn in as early as the end of the month.
Kirk’s north Chicago suburban House district also landed safely in Republican hands: Robert Dold bested three-time Democratic candidate Dan Seals to represent the moderate swing district. Another Chicagoland House Member, three-term Rep. Melissa Bean (D), was narrowly trailing GOP challenger Joe Walsh at press time, while freshman Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D) decisively lost her race against Adam Kinzinger (R) in the 11th district. Republicans also won downstate, with political newcomer Bobby Schilling taking out Rep. Phil Hare (D) in the 17th district.
Obama won each state in the Midwestern region accept Missouri in his 2008 victory. But this year, Republicans won the open Senate seats in Ohio and Missouri, defeated Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) and earned another pickup in Indiana, where former Sen. Dan Coats (R) beat Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D) for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Evan Bayh (D).
In their raid on the Midwest, Republicans took out a pair of powerful House committee chairman, including Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman James Oberstar. The 18-term Minnesota Democrat, elected in the Watergate era, narrowly lost to Chip Cravaack (R).
In Missouri, where Rep. Roy Blunt (R) coasted to a Senate victory over state Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D), perhaps the bigger victory was the GOP’s defeat of Armed Services Chairman Ike Skelton. Republican Vicky Hartzler beat the 17-term conservative Democrat in a race that both parties targeted with spending.
In the neighboring 3rd district, which includes the St. Louis suburbs, Rep. Russ Carnahan (D) was one of few endangered incumbents to fend off a strong Republican challenge. Republican Billy Long won the open-seat race to replace Blunt in the 7th district, becoming one of the two freshmen in the Missouri delegation next year.
Ohio surpassed the rest of the Midwest in GOP pickups. Republican challengers ousted five Democratic incumbents, all of whom were fairly new to Congress.
Former GOP Rep. Steve Chabot won in a rematch against Rep. Steve Driehaus (D) for the Cincinnati-based 1st district. Former state Sen. Steve Stivers beat freshman Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (D) in another rematch from 2008. Other GOP victors include Bill Johnson, who defeated two-term Rep. Charlie Wilson (D) in the 6th district, Jim Renacci, who defeated freshman Rep. John Boccieri (D) in the 16th district, and Bob Gibbs, who defeated two-term Rep. Zack Space (D) in the 18th district.
Former Rep. Rob Portman, who served in President George W. Bush’s administration, will return to the Beltway as a Senator next year. The Ohio Republican cruised to victory against Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D) in the open-seat race to replace retiring Sen. George Voinovich (R).
Michigan will send four new Republicans to Washington this year, including two from previously Democratic-held seats. Dan Benishek, a surgeon from the Upper Peninsula, will replace retiring Rep. Bart Stupak (D) in the 1st district. Former Rep. Tim Walberg won back his 7th district seat in a rematch against freshman Rep. Mark Schauer (D). And Republicans held on to two open seats held by long-serving Members: Former state Rep. Bill Huizenga will replace retiring Rep. Pete Hoekstra, whom Huizenga previously worked for, and Justin Amash won a lopsided victory to replace retiring Rep. Vernon Ehlers.
One new Democratic face will join the Michigan delegation next year: Hansen Clarke, who defeated Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick in the August primary, earned the seat outright Tuesday night against nominal GOP opposition. While 27-term Rep. John Dingell (D) was elected again Tuesday night, he won with just 57 percent of the vote — his lowest winning percentage ever and 2 points less than his 59 percent tally in 1994.
Indiana voters also elected a bevy of GOP freshmen. State Rep. Marlin Stutzman will complete the term of Rep. Mark Souder (R), who stepped down in May after acknowledging he had an affair with a part-time aide. Stutzman also won a full term to represent the Fort Wayne-based 3rd district, which is safe Republican territory. Todd Rokita was elected to replace Rep. Steve Buyer (R), who is retiring.
Republicans also saw two pickups in the Hoosier State. In the 8th district, Larry Bucshon won a decisive victory in the open race to replace Ellsworth, who ran unsuccessfully for the Senate. Todd Young also beat Rep. Baron Hill (D), who was ousted from Congress for the second time in his career. He lost the 2004 election and returned in 2007.
Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.), who chose to retire this year after serving 20 terms, will be replaced by former reality TV star Sean Duffy (R). Two-term Rep. Steve Kagen (D) lost his bid for another term to Reid Ribble (R), a roofing contractor and political neophyte.
