Hot off the Press: GOP savors projected wins
Florida Gov. Bush headed for second term, CNN projects
-WASHINGTON (CNN) --In what could turn out to be a big night for the GOP and President Bush, Republicans Tuesday night savored projected wins in several open U.S. Senate seats, a development that could bolster their chances of regaining control of that chamber.
Returns were still coming in, but it also appeared possible that Republicans could build on their six-seat majority in the House. Any GOP gains in Congress would mark a reversal of historic trends where the party in the White House typically loses seats in the midterm races.
Republicans Elizabeth Dole and John Sununu appeared headed to victory in Senate races in North Carolina and New Hampshire respectively, while Democrat Frank Lautenberg was on his way to doing the same in New Jersey, according to CNN projections. (More on Senate races)
In what would be good news for Democrats, CNN projected that Democrat Mary Pryor would defeat Republican incumbent Sen. Tim Hutchinson in Arkansas. But in Georgia, CNN projected Republican Saxby Chambliss was the victor in his race against Democratic incumbent Sen. Max Cleland.
CNN political analyst Bill Schneider said it appeared that President Bush's intensive campaigning on behalf of GOP candidates was paying off. "President Bush was a very big factor," Schneider said.
In gubernatorial races, CNN projected that Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the president's brother, was headed toward re-election to a second term and would defeat Democrat Bill McBride. And Democrat Kathleen Kennedy Townsend conceded to Republican Robert Ehrlich in Maryland.
The pivotal question of who would control the Senate -- composed of 49 Democrats, 49 Republicans and two independents heading into the election -- hinged on the outcome of a handful of races. States to watch: Missouri, Colorado, Louisiana, Minnesota and South Dakota.
Dole's projected victory in North Carolina alone would not alter the balance of power in the Senate as she would replace Jesse Helms, a Republican incumbent who is retiring.
The same was true for the race in New Hampshire where CNN projected Republican John Sununu would defeat Democratic Gov. Jeanne Shaheen. That seat is already held by a Republican, Bob Smith, who was defeated in the primary.(More on Senate races)
"I suspect ... we won't know who's going to be in control of the Senate until tomorrow morning, maybe even for days," Senate Minority Leader Trent, R-Mississippi, told CNN Tuesday evening.
Early Tuesday evening, Voter News Service, a vote-counting group used by major news organizations, cited dissatisfaction with its exit poll analysis and said it would not release any "national surveys of voter attitudes" on election night. (Full story)
Voter turnout was reported higher than normal in some states, and no major problems with polling sites were reported. Poor weather -- which typically decreases voter turnout substantially -- seemed to be having little effect.
Georgia is the first state to have all its precincts using touch-screen voting machines, meant to avoid problems like uncounted votes and "hanging chads" that dogged Florida two years ago. (More on electronic voting)
President Bush and Laura Bush settled in at the White House for a night of watching elections returns after voting in Crawford, Texas.
The president, who campaigned heavily for GOP candidates, flashed a thumbs-up as he returned to Washington and later called Jeb to congratulate him on his projected victory.
Democratic senators are considered vulnerable in South Dakota, where Tim Johnson faces Republican U.S. Rep. John Thune, and in Missouri, where former Rep. Jim Talent is challenging incumbent Jean Carnahan.
In a key Senate contest in Minnesota, former Vice President Walter Mondale faced former St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman in a race turned upside-down by the death last month of incumbent Democrat Paul Wellstone in a plane crash.
GOP wants to buck trend
The president's party historically loses support in Congress in midterm races. But with Bush's approval rating in the 60 percent range, the White House has increasingly expressed optimism that Republicans will buck that trend.
If Republicans gain seats in the House, it would be the first time since 1934 that the president's party gained in the off-year elections of his first term. (More on House races)
Bush has invested considerably in several races, putting his prestige on the line in the process. (Full story)
Most political analysts say there is no common, national theme to the elections, and individual races appear to hinge on local issues and personalities.
In the long term, the gubernatorial races -- where there are 20 open seats -- may have greater political resonance. Four of the last five presidents were governors.(More on governors' races)
CNN Correspondents Bob Franken, John King, Gary Tuchman and John Zarrella, and CNN.com Producer Sean Loughlin contributed to this report.
Find this article at:
cnn.com |
