The House - and maybe the Senate - turns blue

The Democrats will take control of the House of Representatives this January:

Democrats needed to swing 15 seats to take control, but by the end of the day they had won 26 seats.

Three GOP incumbents lost in Indiana, three more in Pennsylvania, two in New Hampshire, one in North Carolina, one in Kansas, one in California and more elsewhere. Democrats won open seats, which were held by Republicans, in New York, Ohio, Florida, Arizona, Colorado, Wisconsin, Iowa and Texas.

"It's a great night for Democrats, it's a great night for America," Sen. Charles Schumer, head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, told supporters at the Hyatt in Washington around midnight as Democrats celebrated their wins. "We will tell you and all of America, not only can we do better, but we will do better."

I don't think anyone, except the most partisan Republicans, can say this loss wasn't thoroughly deserved. As for the Senate, the Democrats could take control in that chamber as well, if Jim Webb and Jon Tester (in Virginia and Montana, respectively) can hold their extremely tight leads. ABC says Tester is about 2,000 votes ahead in Montana with 90% of the votes counted, while in Virginia, Webb is about 8,000 votes ahead with 99% of the votes counted.

The best news for Republicans and conservatives was an independent Democrat holding his Senate seat. It was that kind of night.

Damian P.

Posted by damian at November 8, 2006 07:46 AM