Updated 3:23 a.m. | Republicans capped their Senate sweep Saturday night, when Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-La., defeated Sen. Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., in a Senate runoff.
Cassidy, a doctor who still practices, was leading Landrieu, 65 percent to 35 percent when the Associated Press called the race 30 minutes after polls closed. Republicans also retained two House seats in additional runoff races. Landrieu has a history of winning races that seemed unwinnable. But this time, she was overwhelmed by the GOP wave that gave Republicans seven seats on election night. Landrieu and Cassidy were forced into a runoff after neither secured 50 percent of the vote, as Louisiana requires, to win outright.