6A - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, November 8, 2006
ELECTION 2006:
MONTANA
Senate
A race for this seat between incumbent
Republican Sen. Conrad Burns and Democratic
challenger John Tester remained too close
to call at 5 a.m. because of a technical glitch
that required some votes to be recounted.
HOWD
MISSOURI
Senate
In a political bout that lived up to its hype,
State Auditor Claire McCaskill squeaked past
incumbent Sen. Jim Talent by just 30,000 votes. A
ballot initiative in Missouri to ban embryonic stem
cell research played a key role in the race. Talent
supported the ban, while McCaskill opposed it.
PENNS'
Senate
Voters r
Santorsr
resound
former C
OHIO
Senate
In a race considered key foi
in the Senate, Democratic I
defeated Republican incurr
DeWine. Corruption charg(
in Ohio and nationwide anc
with the Iraq War in this lar
state are two factors that li
DeWine's loss. The nations
all but conceded this seat t
it stopped running ads on C
E
i
;;
b
d
g
KANSAS
2nd District
In a startling upset in this reddest of red states,
Democratic Rep. Nancy Boyda defeated
the Republican incumbent Rep. Jim Ryun,
illustrating just how big this year's Democratic
tidal wave was. Until recently, it appeared that
Ryun, one of the most conservative members
of Congress, was pulling away with the lead.
But as Election Day approached, Boyda kicked
her grassroots campaigning and fundraising
efforts into high gear and captured a victory.
s# -
- TENNESSEE
Senate
University Law School alum Harold Ford, a
° Democratic congressman, failed in his bid to t
the open seat vacated by retiring Senate Majo
Leader Bill Frist. He lost to former Chattanoog
mayor Bob Corker. If he had won, Ford would
----.have been the first black senator elected from
former Confederate states since Reconstructic
take
ority
ga
the
ion.
_
TEXAS
22nd District
Former Democratic Congressman Nick
Lampson beat write-in candidate Sheila
Sekula-Gibbs in this battle for control oftthe
seat once held by former House Majority
Leader Tom DeLay. DeLay resigned his post
early this year under a cloud of scandal.
i
r'
'
i
17 1
How will t
U.S. HOUSE
(results as of 4 A.M.)
By Christina Hildr
NEWS ANALYSIS
Democrats steamrolled into a
House majority last night, con-
trolling Capitol Hill for the first
time since most University seniors
started reading chapter books.
Nancy Pelosi is set to become the
first female Speaker of the House,
and American voters effectively
halted President Bush's domestic
agenda.
What will Democrats do with
their newfound ability to advance
their own agenda? Nothing fancy,
analysts say. Even if Democrats
scrap up a 51st seat in the Senate,
don't expect a pendular policy
swing.
Despite losing most of the con-
tested House seats, Republicans
can rest in the comfort that yes-
terday's election probably won't
result in a pervasive liberalization
of Washington. Yes, Democrats
made some gains in this election,
but experts say they're likely to be
careful for fear they could screw
up 2008.
Charles Shipai, a public pol-
icy professor and an expert on
Congressional politics, said the
Pelosi Democrats will be moder-
ate, using the House to push rela-
tively uncontroversial legislation
through Congress
"I don't think we'll see a lot of
major policy changes," he said.
But we might see some new
causes, he said. A Democratic
House will probably take up issues
like raising the minimum wage,
something to which a Republican
Congress would beaverse.
Yesterday's Democratic victo-
ries could also mea a boost at the
bottom line of students' financial
aid reports. Increasing the acces-
sibility of higher education was a
top priority on the platform Demo-
crats quietly released back in June.
The 31-page "New Direction for
America" advocates tax credits for
science, math,
neering stude
Democrats su
nedy (D-Mass
that would bti
ters, usingthe:
maximum Pel
to $4,500 and
study funding
Don't expe<
Capitol Hill rE
touchy issue
dear to the he
vatives like ab
or stem cell re
"Dems just
those," he sai
don't want to
rents.
As far as
in Iraq, Ship
difficult for I
together a cor
party cohesiv(
a solid policy.
"Democra4
ranging opini
DemoCrat
Too Close
to Call
pLI
Republican
NOTES FROM First Socialist elected to Senate S. Dakota rejects abortion ban
AROUND THE U.S. Vermont voters elected Rep. Bernie Sanders, an indepen- South Dakota voters rejected a proposal thatw
dent who identifies as a Socialist to theen erdav have banned nearly all abortions - even in the case of
'ould
frape
Ariz. votes down gay marriage
Arizona voters loot likely to reject a ban on gay I
The proposal, which v'ould have banned gay marriag<
arrangement resembling marriage, was trailing at 3
over 30,000 votes with 96 percent of precincts re
Arizona would be the first state to reject a ban on ga
riage at the ballot box.
Ui wV U1t1CasaOtlla, I U~tcGl a.
Sanders replaces retiring independent Sen. James Jeffords,
who was last elected as a Republican, but left the party in
2001. This makes Sanders both the first Socialist elected to
the Senate.
or incest. The rejection comes as a blow to social conserva-
tives who had hoped to use the new law to challenge Roe
V. Wade.
Compiled from
Associated Press reports
I