Enlarge By Alex Wong, Getty Images Former Virginia governor and now Senator-elect Mark Warner gives the thumbs-up sign after casting his ballot at Lyles Crouch School in Alexandria, Va. He won the seat that had been held by Republican John Warner (no relation). Gallery By Brian Bohannon, AP Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., won his fifth term after a tight race. Here, he and his wife, U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, leave their polling place after voting in Louisville.  SEN. DOLE, R-N.C., LOSES SEAT  35 SENATE RACES IN '08 State   Winner Defeated Alabama   Jeff Sessions* Vivan Davis Figures, D Alaska   Awaiting results Awaiting results Arkansas   Mark Pryor* No contestant Colorado   Mark Udall Bob Schaffer, R Delaware   Joe Biden* Christine O' Donnell, R Georgia   Awaiting results Awaiting results Idaho   Jim Risch Larry LaRocco, D Illinois   Dick Durbin* Steve Sauerberg, R Iowa   Tom Harkin* Christopher Reed, R Kansas   Pat Roberts* Jim Slattery, D Kentucky   Mitch McConnell* Bruce Lunsford, D Louisiana   Mary Landrieu* John Kennedy, R Maine   Susan Collins* Tom Allen, D Massachusetts   John Kerry* Jeff Beatty, R Michigan   Carl Levin* Jack Hoogendyk Jr., R Minnesota   Awaiting results Awaiting results Mississippi   Thad Cochran* Erik Fleming, D Mississippi   Roger Wicker* Ronnie Musgrove, D Montana   Max Baucus* Bob Kelleher, R Nebraska   Mike Johanns Scott Kleeb, D New Hampshire   Jeanne Shaheen John Sununu, R* New Jersey   Frank Lautenberg* Dick Zimmer, R New Mexico   Tom Udall Steve Pearce, R North Carolina   Kay Hagan Elizabeth Dole, R* Oklahoma   James Inhofe* Andrew Rice, D Oregon   Awaiting results Awaiting results Rhode Island   Jack Reed*  Bob Tingle, R South Carolina   Lindsey Graham* Bob Conley, D South Dakota   Tim Johnson* Joel Dykstra, R Tennessee   Lamar Alexander* Robert Tuke, D Texas   John Cornyn* Rick Noriega, D Virginia   Mark Warner Jim Gilmore, R West Virginia   John Rockefeller* Jay Wolfe, R Wyoming   Jonn Barrasso* Nick Carter, D Wyoming   Michael Enzi* Chris Rothfuss, D Red = Republican Blue = Democrat * Incumbent

They appeared to fall short, though, of the magic 60-vote majority needed to pass bills without Republican support.

Democrats picked up Republican-held seats in Virginia, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Colorado — and they were leading in Oregon and running even in Minnesota. The only Democratic incumbent thought to be in danger, Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu, escaped defeat.

And Democrats had hopes of unseating Alaska Republican Sen. Ted Stevens, who was convicted of lying on his financial disclosure statements.

But Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky fended off a tough challenge, as did Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia.

That meant that if everything broke the Democrats' way, the party would pick up eight seats, a tally that would bring them to 58 or 59 votes, depending on their relationship with Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, an independent who endorsed Republican John McCain for president.

Democrats, who won control of the Senate after the 2006 elections, held a pre-election 51-49 voting majority, including Lieberman.

Whatever the final number, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada told USA TODAY that the Senate will become a different place.

"It's a lot easier to get two, three or four (Republicans) than it is to get nine. … I feel very good about it," Reid said as the returns started to come in. "We have the two Maine (Republican) senators who are moderates. … We're gonna be fine."

He called the outcome "a victory for the American people. It's about stopping the fighting and partisan battles."

Incumbents fall

With 35 seats up for grabs on a night that promised to reshape the U.S. Senate, Democrats rode a wave of voter discontent with the economy, the Iraq war and President Bush.

Republicans who once were considered solid bets for re-election found themselves in tougher-than-expected contests, and some lost.

In North Carolina, Democrat Kay Hagan upset Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole.

Democrat Jeanne Shaheen beat Republican Sen. John Sununu in New Hampshire.

In Virginia, former Democratic governor Mark Warner won easily over Republican Jim Gilmore in a race to replace retiring Republican Sen. John Warner.

In New Mexico, Democratic Rep. Tom Udall beat Republican Rep. Steve Pearce to succeed retiring Sen. Pete Domenici. Democratic Rep. Mark Udall — a cousin of Tom Udall and the son of the late Arizona Rep. Morris "Mo" Udall — defeated former Republican congressman Bob Schaffer for the Colorado seat now held by Republican Wayne Allard.

With Shaheen's election, women control a record 17 seats in the Senate.

Under Senate rules, 41 senators can block legislation by threatening a filibuster, and Republicans used that tactic a record number of times to stymie Democrats in the past two years.

The Senate held 110 votes to cut off debate and move to final passage of a bill in this Congress — nearly twice the previous record, 61, set in 2001-2002. Fifty of those votes failed.

Among the bills blocked: A bid to roll back tax breaks for the oil industry and a bill to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices.

Mark Warner's victory means Virginia has two Democratic senators for the first time since 1970. Sen. Jim Webb, who won his seat in 2006, told a packed ballroom at the state Democratic victory party Tuesday night that Warner and other Democratic victors will put the party in a position to pass legislation.

"We had 51-49 on a good day when Sen. Lieberman was not out campaigning for John McCain," he said to laughter. "We will now have a Senate that will get things done."

Tough year for GOP

It was always going to be a tough year for the GOP, if only because 23 of the 35 Senate seats up for election were held by Republicans.

That includes five retiring Republicans: Allard of Colorado, Warner of Virginia, Domenici in New Mexico, Larry Craig of Idaho and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska.

As the economy worsened and Obama began competing hard in traditionally Republican-dominated states, the climate for Senate Republican incumbents worsened and campaigning turned nasty.

•In Minnesota, Republican incumbent Norm Coleman found himself sparring bitterly in the final days with Democrat Al Franken, a comedian, over a last-minute lawsuit filed in Texas that alleged a Coleman donor had funneled $75,000 to the Republican through his wife's business.

•In New Hampshire, Shaheen criticized Sununu's vote for the $700 billion financial rescue plan. Shaheen will become the first woman to represent the Granite State in the U.S. Senate. The race was a rematch of their tight 2002 contest, which Sununu won with 51% of the vote.

Democrats also were counting on Alaska, where Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich was challenging Stevens, who was struggling to hold on to his seat despite his felony conviction.

Contributing: The Associated Press; Andrea Stone in McLean, Va.

Share this story:

Yahoo! Buzz   Digg   Newsvine   Reddit   Facebook What's this?

Posted 11/1/2008 3:00 PM
Updated 11/5/2008 10:25 AM		E-mail | Save | Print | Reprints & Permissions |
To report corrections and clarifications, contact Reader Editor Brent Jones . For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification.

You must be logged in to leave a comment. Log in | Register

Post this comment to Facebook?

Comments: (290)

Showing:   Newest first Oldest first Most recommended   New: Most recommended!

atsegga (0 friends, send message) wrote: 3/5/2009 6:05:07 PM

The Borgen Project has some good info on the cost of addressing global poverty.



$30 billion: Annual shortfall to end world hunger.

$550 billion: U.S. Defense budget

Recommend   | Report Abuse

daveNaustin (9 friends, send message) wrote: 2/4/2009 8:00:37 PM

Tax cheats and copyright infringers. What next?



http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9652OD01&show_article=1&catnum=8

Recommend   | Report Abuse

big sam (0 friends, send message) wrote: 2/3/2009 3:29:54 PM

Democr$ps control Senate, House and Presidency. First sign of trouble-they blame the Republicans. Won't take long to find out ether.

Recommend   | Report Abuse

jeffeboy2001 (0 friends, send message) wrote: 1/2/2009 7:19:31 AM

Why is it when Bill Clinton came up with a little thing called the american dream and empowered Freddie Mac and Fannie May to give out loans to people who could never pay it back WHY OH WHY is he not being held accountable

Recommend 1 | Report Abuse

map07pad (2 friends, send message) wrote: 12/18/2008 10:38:09 AM

never trust any politicians, they are all liars and crooks

Recommend   | Report Abuse

uncle meat (1 friends, send message) wrote: 12/17/2008 7:31:22 AM

Please, everyone tell your congressional representatives to STOP Bush from leasing land near our National Parks to energy companies. Please stop this travesty.

Recommend 1 | Report Abuse

davy515 (0 friends, send message) wrote: 12/7/2008 4:38:48 AM

Bush and the republican party are one and the same. The republican party has had it's way for the last eight years and have fed the public and steady diet of de-regulations and tax breaks to the wealthy and have been doing so since Reagan and the fall of Savings and Loans. Its called trickle down however now republican's just do it without calling it what it is. It's supposed to make jobs while corporations get tax breaks to move their business overseas. All of which are Republican ideas. I guess WMD's and the Iraq war as which caused destabilization of oil cost are all the responsibility of Bush. Bush legacy is also one of torture and failed economic policies the Republican Party caused it's own demise and their trying to blame it on bad PR....

Recommend   | Report Abuse

UK Brad (0 friends, send message) wrote: 11/27/2008 4:52:02 PM

Enough already! It is time to back America's new Leader(s.). That means President Elect Obama and those that will be serving with him. The rest of the world has been watching the election with great enthusiasm. After living in the UK for 30 Years, I can assure you that you have nothing to fear with Socialism. If America is lucky enough, it may one day be able to stand proud that it provides true "Freedom of Speech", health care for all and everything else that comes with working for the good of others on this planet. The world is truly pleased to see that American democracy worked well through the election may it prove as well in backing the newly elected! Don't complain visit other cultures around the world, don't rely on your TV and Radio presenters to "Fill you In".

Recommend   | Report Abuse

More comments on this story: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next