Nearly as devastating for Democrats as the “Republican
Revolution” midterms of 1994, Tuesday’s elections
brought good news for conservative voters nationwide, as the GOP
retained control of the House of Representatives and regained
control of the Senate.
In addition, Republicans won key races for open governor seats.
Each party held 23 governor seats as of early Wednesday morning,
with four races still too close to call.
Republican candidates enjoyed success Tuesday in GOP
strongholds, as well as in areas where Democrats typically
succeed.
“President Bush and the Republican party tonight have made
history,” said Ari Fleischer, White House press aide.
Maryland voters elected Robert Ehrlich, who will be the first
Republican governor in that state in three decades. Georgia voters,
meanwhile, elected Sonny Perdue, who will be the first Republican
governor in the state since Reconstruction.
In Florida, Jeb Bush easily won his reelection bid, even though
Democrats launched a massive attempt to unseat him.
In key Senate races, Republican Saxby Chambliss ousted
first-term Democratic incumbent Max Cleland in Georgia, and Jim
Talent defeated Jean Carnahan in a special election in
Missouri.
Carnahan was appointed to the Senate seat after her husband, Mel
Carnahan, was elected in 2000, three weeks after he was killed in a
plane crash.
In Minnesota, another highly-watched Senate race between
Democratic former Vice President Walter Mondale and Republican Norm
Coleman, the former mayor of St. Paul, was too close to call early
Wednesday, as state officials hand-counted ballots.
Mondale was a last minute replacement for the late Sen. Paul
Wellstone, who died in a plane crash Oct. 25.
In the House, Democrats needed to pick up seven seats to take
control for the first time since the early 1990s. Even after
redistricting ““Â which happens every 10 years to reflect
population change and often leads to a number of close races
““ the battle for House control came down to just a few
hotly-contested seats.
It was apparent early in the evening that a change in House
control would not happen, as Republicans earned victories in races
previously seen as toss-ups.
Most House seats were, for all intents and purposes, locked up
before voters even went to the polls.
Defeating incumbents is typically difficult.
For example, 28-year West Side incumbent Henry Waxman, D-Los
Angeles, whose district includes UCLA, cruised to victory,
garnering almost 70 percent of the vote. House speaker Dennis
Hastert, R-Ill. and House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, D-Mo.,
also coasted to victory.
It appeared early Wednesday Republicans would pick up about four
seats overall.
Politicians and pundits alike pointed to the popularity of the
Republican president when explaining the GOP’s success
Tuesday.
“I think I pin a lot of it on that this is a president who
has had very high approval ratings,” said National Democratic
Chairman Terry McAuliffe. “He’s had the longest
sustained approval ratings of any president in modern
history.”
Bush ““ as he increases the rhetoric for war against Iraq
and trumpets the United States’ efforts in a war on terrorism
““ enjoys the highest approval ratings during midterm
elections since President John Kennedy’s in 1962.
Bush campaigned furiously for Republican candidates in 23 states
over the last five weeks.
The president and his GOP allies defied history Tuesday
““Â the president’s party had lost House seats in
every midterm election except three in the past century.
The GOP will control the executive and legislative branches of
the federal government when elected officials are inaugurated in
January.
Additionally, five of the nine judges on the Supreme Court were
appointed by Republican presidents, and that number could increase
during Bush’s presidency.
Now, with control over both policy-making branches of the
government, it remains to be seen how well conservatives will
succeed in pursuing goals of cutting taxes, increasing defense
spending, and possibly pushing for the privatization of social
security.
Meanwhile, some abortion rights advocates fear if Bush appoints
one more conservative judge to the Supreme Court, Roe v. Wade, the
early 1970s court decision protecting women’s reproductive
rights, could be repealed.
As Republicans celebrated, others found the results
disturbing.
“It’s depressing,” said Nicholas Corpuz, a
third-year international development studies student at UCLA, who
attended the Democratic reception at the Century City Plaza
Hotel.
“We’re going to see a conservative Supreme Court for
the next 25 years,” he added.
John O’Kane, media director for California College
Democrats and a third-year government student at Claremont College,
was able to put his own positive spin on the results.
“It might be good,” he said. “If Bush is able
to push through a conservative agenda, it might alienate
voters.”
With reports from Charles Proctor, Daily Bruin Contributor, and
Daily Bruin wire services.