GOP soars in House, state races; Democrats expected to keep Senate - CNN International

Boehner: Putting Washington on noticeNEW: Pelosi: "The outcome of the election does not diminish the work" of DemocratsTen governors' offices switch from Democrats to RepublicansRepublicans nab at least 60 more House seats, based on CNN analysis of exit poll dataCNN projects Democrats will maintain a majority in the SenateWatch CNN live on TV, online and on your iPhone to get all the news and results from the hotly contested 2010 midterm elections. And share your election experiences with CNN iReport.

Washington (CNN) -- Voters' anger over a stubborn jobless rate and anxiety over troubled economy helped propel Republicans to a sweeping takeover of the U.S. House of Representatives and a stronger presence in state offices, projections indicate.

With results still coming in, the full extent of the Republican takeover of the 435-member House was still to be determined. But CNN projected that Republicans would win at least 60 more House seats than they currently hold to wipe out the Democratic majority of the past four years.

Democrats cling onto their majority in the Senate, though in smaller numbers, according to projections based on CNN analysis of exit poll data from Tuesday's midterm elections. Democrats were guaranteed of holding at least 50 of the 100 Senate seats, with a handful of close races still outstanding, according to the projections.

Exit poll data analyzed by CNN showed the economy was the dominant issue on voters' minds and indicated that key constituencies shifted from supporting Democrats in 2008 to voting for Republicans this time.

While the ushering in of more Republicans into office might signal a rejection of Democrats in power, it might not be a warm embrace of the GOP.

Exit polling showed voter dissatisfaction with both parties, as each received a 53 percent unfavorable rating.

An energized conservative electorate, fueled by the anti-establishment Tea Party movement that emerged in 2009, helped Republicans to what could be the biggest house gain by any major party since 1948.

"With their voices, the American people are demanding a new way forward in Washington," said House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio, who is expected to become House speaker when the new GOP majority takes over in January. But he added, "This is not a time for celebration ... not when one in 10 of our fellow citizens are out of work ...not when we have buried our children under a mountain of debt."

Current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi released a statement on the midterm elections.

"Over the last four years, the Democratic majority in the House took courageous action on behalf of America's middle class to create jobs and save the country from the worst economic catastrophe since the Great Depression," the statement read.

"The outcome of the election does not diminish the work we have done for the American people. We must all strive to find common ground to support the middle class, create jobs, reduce the deficit and move our nation forward."

President Barack Obama called Boehner to congratulate him as the GOP takeover of the House appeared certain. They had a brief but pleasant conversation, according to Boehner's aides. The two discussed working together to focus on the top priorities of the American people, which Boehner has identified as creating jobs and cutting spending.

The rise of the Tea Party movement added a new element to the election cycle, roiling Republican races by boosting little-known and inexperienced candidates to victory over mainstream figures in GOP primaries across the country. The movement that emerged in 2009 in opposition to expanded government and the growing federal deficit and could pose a threat in the 2012 election.

"I don't think there's any question that if it were not for the Tea Party, the Republican margin in the House of Representatives would not be as high as it's going to be," CNN senior political analyst David Gergen said Tuesday night. "They gave a lot of enthusiasm and fuel to the Republican Party."

Tea Party-backed Republicans Rand Paul in Kentucky and Marco Rubio in Florida won their Senate races, according to the projections.

Adding to the Democrats' losses, Obama's former Senate seat in Illinois went to Republican Mark Kirk, who defeated Democrat Alexi Giannoulias.

"Tonight the sun set on a one-party, corrupt state," Kirk told supporters Tuesday night. "And this Senate seat was just returned to its rightful owners, the people of Illinois."

But projections show Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, will retain his seat by defeating Republican Sharron Angle, a Tea Party favorite who beat 11 other opponents in a June primary to clinch the GOP nomination.

A cheering crowd of supporters chanted Reid's name and "si se puede" -- Spanish for "yes we can" -- Tuesday night. The former boxer thanked them for their help securing his re-election.

"I've been in some pretty tough fights in my day ... But I have to admit, this has been one of the toughest," he said.

Democrat Chris Coons was the projected winner over Republican Christine O'Donnell, another Tea Party-supported candidate, in Delaware's Senate race for the seat formerly held by Vice President Joe Biden.

The final make-up of the Senate will include no African-Americans. The only current African-American senator, Roland Burris of Illinois, is retiring, and none of the three African-American candidates won on Tuesday.

Both Paul, the son of Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, and O'Donnell rode Tea Party support to defeat mainstream Republican candidates in the primaries.

Republican candidates were also strong in governors' races, with at least 10 gubernatorial seats switching from Democrats to Republicans, CNN projected.

Republicans needed a net gain of only three governorships Tuesday for a majority nationally. Often overshadowed during midterm campaigns, governorships can impact national politics by their influence in the redistricting of state electorates.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who gained national attention for her support of Arizona's controversial new immigration law, defeated Democrat Terry Goddard to retain office.

In South Carolina, Nikki Haley became the state's first female governor by defeating Democratic opponent Vincent Sheheen in a tightly contested race.

CNN projected Democrat Jerry Brown will defeat Republican Meg Whitman in California for the governorship now held by Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is stepping down under term limits. And a widely publicized battle in New York will end with Democratic Attorney General Andrew Cuomo sliding past Republican favorite Carl Paladino, according to CNN analysis of exit poll data.

Conservative candidates also made strong gains in state legislatures. The Republican State Leadership Committee estimated that at least 16 state legislative chambers had moved from Democratic to Republican control in Tuesday's voting.

Those changes have the potential to reverberate far beyond the state level: By seizing control of legislative chambers in several key states, the GOP significantly strengthened its hand heading into what promises to be contentious congressional redistricting process, where legislatures decide how congressional districts are drawn. That can mean the difference between an incumbent having an easy path to re-election -- or seeing his or her district drawn out of existence altogether.

The GOP also significantly increased its pool of viable future U.S. House and Senate candidates.

The long and bitter campaign season drew more than $3.5 billion in spending, making it the most expensive nonpresidential vote ever, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, a watchdog group.

About 75 percent of Americans say things are going badly in the country, according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Monday.

The economy was rated the most important issue by 62 percent of voters, far eclipsing health care reform (19 percent), immigration (8 percent) and the war in Afghanistan (7 percent), according to the exit polling.

Most voters, 88 percent, rated economic conditions as not good or poor, and 86 percent said they were very worried or somewhat worried about the economy, the exit polling showed.

Unemployment, at a rate of 9.6 percent amid a slow recovery from economic recession, has been a dominant issue, with Republicans accusing Obama and the Democrats of pushing through expensive policies that have expanded government without solving the problem.

Obama has led Democrats in defending his record, saying that steps such as the economic stimulus bill and auto industry bailout were necessary to prevent a depression, while health care reform and Wall Street reform will lay the foundation for sustainable future growth.

Observers warned that the expected Republican gains offer little chance of compromise or bipartisan approaches on major issues.

In the Senate, legislative gridlock is likely as Republicans strengthen their current minority of 41 seats. The Democrats' simple majority in Senate doesn't give them power to block filibusters.

Democrats are also wary of a recent comment by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who told the National Journal, "The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president."

The first test of a new relationship will come in mid-November, when Congress convenes a post-election lame-duck session to try to clear unfinished legislation before the newly elected Congress gathers in January. Among other issues, lawmakers must decide whether and how to extend Bush-era tax cuts.

CNN's Tom Cohen, Michael Pearson, Dana Bash, Ed Henry, Ted Barrett, Deirdre Walsh, Paul Steinhauser, Rebecca Sinderbrand, Jessica Yellin, Alan Silverleib, Holly Yan, Forrest Brown, Catherine E. Shoichet, Rebecca Stewart and Jonathan Auerbach contributed to this report.

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In Connecticut, Big Races on the Ballot - New York Times

Those are just some of the themes in play as voters in Connecticut head to the polls on Tuesday.

Connecticut residents are choosing a new United States senator and a new governor, along with a new attorney general, comptroller and secretary of state. They will also decide whether to re-elect the state’s five members of Congress, many members of the State Legislature and the state’s treasurer.

Democrats have historically fared well, but in a volatile year, with Republicans poised to make big gains nationwide because of anger over the economy, many political analysts caution that anything can happen.

Here is a summary of the major contests.

Senate

Richard Blumenthal, the Democratic nominee for the seat being vacated by Senator Christopher J. Dodd, has led in the polls over Linda E. McMahon, the Republican, in the most expensive Congressional race in the country. So far, Ms. McMahon, a former executive of World Wrestling Entertainment, has poured in $42 million, and Mr. Blumenthal an additional $6 million.

Mr. Blumenthal, the state’s attorney general, has been a popular figure for decades, but he stumbled after The New York Times reported that his claims about having served in Vietnam during the war were not true.

Even so, female voters, in particular, have been turned off by the sheer volume of Ms. McMahon’s advertising (one facetious billboard on Interstate 95 reads, “Linda: Because She’s Bought Everything Else!”) and by her ties to an unsavory industry. Small wonder, then, that Ms. McMahon has recently sought to soften her image, first with a minutelong advertisement in which she says, humbly, that “I’m running because I’ve lived through some of the same hardships many of you are facing,” then with an advertisement featuring her daughter.

Governor

Dannel P. Malloy, the Democratic nominee to succeed the departing Republican governor, M. Jodi Rell, has led in the polls against Thomas C. Foley, the Republican. Mr. Malloy was until recently the longtime mayor of Stamford and was closely associated with its revival. Even Mr. Foley, whose campaign headquarters are located there, acknowledged in his first televised debate with Mr. Malloy that Stamford was a great city.

In a race marked by few mistakes, Mr. Foley, a wealthy businessman, has remained within striking distance. He has outspent Mr. Malloy by almost two to one, mostly with his own money, and offered a business-savvy, cost-cutting pitch. He has benefited from concern among some voters over making Hartford, where the Legislature is controlled by Democrats, a one-party town.

Mr. Malloy has also been hurt, perhaps, by an issue on the minds of many Connecticut voters this year: the death penalty. The state has been riveted by the trial of Steven J. Hayes, who was convicted last month for participating in a home invasion in Cheshire, in which a woman and her two daughters were killed. Mr. Foley supports the death penalty, and for this particular case, so do most Connecticut residents. Mr. Malloy, a former Brooklyn prosecutor, opposes it.

House

Two seats that were recently claimed by young Democrats, swept into office by anti-Bush and pro-Obama sentiments, could return to Republican hands. Like so many Congressional races nationwide, they have become plebiscites on Washington.

In the state’s Fourth Congressional District, which is dominated by the suburbs of Fairfield County and the industrial city of Bridgeport, Representative Jim Himes, a freshman Democrat, is trying to fend off a spirited challenge from State Senator Dan Debicella. Mr. Debicella has sought to tie Mr. Himes to Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, while toning down his credentials in the Legislature as a conservative favored by groups that oppose abortion rights and same-sex marriage. Mr. Himes, meanwhile, has positioned himself as an independent, and supports a temporary extension of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, which disproportionately affect his district.

In the state’s Fifth Congressional District, which covers the northwestern part of the state, Representative Christopher S. Murphy, a Democrat who won in 2006, is battling Sam S. F. Caligiuri, a Republican state senator who has benefited from a large infusion of advertisements from outside groups. Once again, the candidates have sparred over national issues like health care, the economic stimulus and debt.

In contrast to the relative civility of the Himes-Debicella matchup, this race has been nasty. One advertisement from Mr. Murphy that was eventually taken down tried to link Mr. Caligiuri to Philip A. Giordano, the former Waterbury mayor who is serving a 37-year prison sentence for sexually abusing two young girls.

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Democrats Claim Momentum as Polls Tighten in Key Races - Fox News

With nine days to go until the midterm election and the polls tightening in several key races, top Democratic Party leaders claimed Sunday that momentum is on their side and that the so-called "enthusiasm gap" is closing. 

Democrats said voters are beginning to wake up to the alleged damage Republicans would do to the country by wielding the controls of Congress -- a warning President Obama has sounded at campaign rallies across the country on behalf of Democratic candidates. 

"From this point forward, it's all about turnout and ground game, and we're seeing good early voting trends," Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine said Sunday on ABC's "This Week," predicting his party would hold the House. "The polling is moving. We really haven't seen since Labor Day polls moving against us. Almost all the polls have been moving for us. Now, we still have some work to do, but what Democrats tend to specialize in is the ground game, the turnout." 

The polling offers a more nuanced picture, and Republicans are expressing just as much confidence. In Washington state, Republican Dino Rossi has whittled away Democratic Sen. Patty Murray's lead in recent polls. In California, Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer watched her lead over Carly Fiorina shrink to 2 points in the latest survey out of Rasmussen. 

But Republicans have likewise watched their leads diminish in Senate races critical to their strategy for a congressional takeover. The shifting numbers underscore the unpredictability of a campaign season marked by the rise of outsider candidates, a groundswell in citizen activism and challenges to the establishment on both sides of the political aisle. 

In Pennsylvania, Republican Pat Toomey has traded the lead in recent polls with Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak, despite holding a strong advantage for weeks over his opponent. In Wisconsin, Republican businessman Ron Johnson's lead fell to the 2 points in his race against Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold, according to a St. Norbert College/Wisconsin Public Radio poll released last week. Polls show the Colorado Senate race between Democratic incumbent Michael Bennet and Tea Party-supported Ken Buck a dead heat. And polling in the West Virginia Senate race between Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin and Republican opponent John Raese has been all over the map. 

"It's a very competitive race," said Manchin, who has spent the campaign battling charges that he is too close to President Obama and Washington Democrats. He suggested on "Fox News Sunday" that voters are starting to trend toward him. 

"Now this last week, people are starting to look at who's performed in West Virginia," he said. 

Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said on CBS' "Face the Nation" that he's confident Democrats will retain a majority in Congress. 

"These big interests are fighting hard to get back in power and I think the American people are waking up to that fact and that's why I think you're seeing a closing of the political energy gap," he said. 

But while Obama and his top surrogates are touring the nations in support of Democrats, Republicans are driving up enthusiasm with rallies and cross-country tours of their own. They say the scattered races where Democrats are gaining steam are nothing to worry about and that a nationwide sentiment that resents the expansion of the federal government is on their side. 

"There is a vibration out here that is unlike anything I've ever seen before," Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "I think you're going to see a wave, an unprecedented wave on Election Day." 

Republicans need 39 seats to win a majority in the House of Representatives and 10 seats to win a majority in the U.S. Senate. Steele predicted Republicans would achieve both, though he described the Senate as a tougher climb. 

Toomey, in an interview with "Fox News Sunday," dismissed the tightening polls in his Pennsylvania Senate race. Toomey rocked the political scene in the Keystone State when his popularity in the Republican primary forced Sen. Arlen Specter to switch parties in order to run as a Democrat. Specter later lost to Sestak. 

Despite the sudden hiccup in Toomey's lead, the GOP nominee said he's confident he'll give Republicans a boost in their quest for 51 seats in the Senate. 

"I never expected this to be anything but a close and competitive race," Toomey said. "It's close now, but I feel great about where we are. ... I think the energy and the momentum's on our side." 

Click here for more Fox News "Days to Decide" coverage. 

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Midterm Races Could Hold Key to White House, Congress in 2012 - Fox News

President Obama's name is not on the ballot Nov. 2, but his chance at a second term in the White House could be on the line. 

As the president and top Democratic surrogates like Bill Clinton criss-cross the country to campaign for their party's gubernatorial candidates, party operatives are looking ahead to what this year's race will mean for 2012. 

And so far, it's not looking good for Democrats. 

Several peculiarities in the 2010 landscape could have great bearing on the next election. For starters, Republicans are projected to pick up several seats in the 37 governors' races being held next Tuesday. That could give whoever is running as the GOP presidential nominee in 2012 a powerful surrogate at the helm of a number of key swing states. 

In addition, this year's governors' races coincide with the 2010 Census, the national head count that will be used as the basis for reshaping congressional districts nationwide. The governors, by virtue of their veto pen and other factors, have considerable sway over that process -- and if Republicans make the kind of gains forecasters predict, the party will be poised to redraw the congressional map to their advantage come 2012. This would help the party either build, or reinforce, a congressional majority two years from now, while having a more indirect impact on the presidential race. 

Finally, projections show that when the districts are redrawn, red states will likely end up gaining seats in Congress while blue states will lose them. For Obama, this means a more grueling and challenging climb to the 270 electors needed to secure reelection in 2012 -- the number of electors each state has is based on the number of its congressional seats, and if deep-red states like Texas grow, that's bad news for the sitting president. 

"The states that are going to gain congressional seats are the ones that John McCain won," said David Avella, executive director of Republican recruitment arm GOPAC. 

All these factors are on the minds of Republicans who, in some cases, are plotting a two-cycle path to Washington domination. The Republican Governors Association publicly claims that its races in 2010 are the key to a 2012 wave. 

"The RGA believes Republicans won't win back the U.S. Senate, House or presidency until first reclaiming a majority of governorships for the GOP," the group says on its website. 

Democratic governors provided Obama a big boost in the 2008 presidential election in several battleground states -- Democrats were at the helm of nearly every "purple" state Obama won, from Colorado to Virginia to Ohio to Iowa. 

But what if some of those seats change hands? Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland was an enthusiastic advocate for Obama's presidential campaign in 2008, but now he's fighting for his political life against GOP candidate John Kasich. Republican gubernatorial candidates are poised to take back Democratic seats in Obama-supporting Pennsylvania, Iowa and Michigan, among other states. The storied battleground of Florida is still a toss-up in the race between Republican Rick Scott and Democrat Alex Sink. 

Avella said the outcomes play heavily into the 2012 presidential race. 

"The governor controls the political machinery for his party," he said. He said Republican governors will be able to leverage fundraising networks in support of the GOP nominee as well as shape legislative agendas that could rally Republican voters in the next cycle. 

Plus, most of the new governors -- as well as the state legislatures -- will have sway over the redistricting process, one of the biggest prizes to come out of the Nov. 2 midterms. 

"That's why the governor's (seat) is so important at this particular time" said Jerry Shuster, political communication professor at the University of Pittsburgh. "It's a critical time for both parties and they know that." 

Governors can help shape congressional districts for the benefit of their party's incumbents and challengers; for Republicans, this would mean upping their chances at a congressional takeover in 2012 if they fall short next month. This process also can have an indirect effect on the presidential race. Avella noted that a boost in the number of Republican-friendly congressional districts could give more momentum to GOP candidates, and in turn rally more GOP operatives and money to turn out the vote for the presidential nominee. 

While Obama would not have to worry in most states about the shape of congressional districts -- presidential electors are divvied up based on the popular vote in each state -- the individual districts come into play in Maine and Nebraska. Those two states have a hybrid system where the votes in each congressional district factor into which presidential candidate wins their electors. 

More importantly, a study released at the end of September showed that blue states stand to lose about a half-dozen districts while red states stand to scoop up about that many as a result of the redistricting process. 

The analysis from Election Data Services projected that Texas, a GOP stronghold, would gain a whopping four congressional districts. New York, a Democratic powerhouse, would lose two, according to the data. 

Shuster said the impact of those shifts on the White House race depends on a host of factors. If the economy starts to turn around, it's a "limited" issue, he said. But if Republicans field a strong candidate and the economy stagnates for another two years, "then it has the possibility of having an impact on the outcome of the election."

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