Oh Happy Day! When Jesus Washed All Our Sins Away!
Republicans take Senate majority, Fox News projects
Republicans have won a majority in the Senate for the first time in eight years, Fox News projects, giving the party full control of Congress for the remainder of President Obama's term.
Republicans notched a string of victories across the country, retaining every one of the GOP-held seats up for grabs and picking up more than the six seats needed to take control of the Senate.
So far, Republicans have gained seven Senate seats. In North Carolina, Fox News can project that Thom Tillis, a Republican member of the state legislature, will oust U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, a first-term Democrat, in a closely fought race that saw spending top $100 million.
Republican Joni Ernst is also projected to beat Democrat Bruce Braley in Iowa.
Republicans enjoyed a banner night after mounting campaigns from coast to coast that, almost without exception, sought to cast their opponents as rubber stamps for the unpopular president. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who fended off a Democratic challenge in Kentucky, is now poised to ascend to majority leader next year.
Republicans also are projected to retain control of the House -- and gain about 10 seats, reversing some of the losses the GOP experienced in 2012 and restoring the party to a majority similar to its historic victory of 2010.
The landscape means Republicans will have new powers to challenge Obama's agenda in the final two years of his term, able to launch investigations and hold hearings from both chambers; hold up key appointments; and pass GOP-favored legislation, if only to force the president to employ his veto pen. The division of power also could yield areas of agreement, on areas ranging from immigration to energy -- though the Affordable Care Act and efforts to undermine it could continue to sour talks on other issues.
McConnell, after winning his own race, said some things won't change next year -- but stressed that lawmakers and the White House don't have to be in "perpetual conflict" and "have an obligation to work together."
"Tomorrow, the papers will say I won this race, but the truth is ... tonight we begin another one, one that's far more important than mine -- and that's the race to turn this country around," McConnell said in Louisville.
In a written statement, current Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid congratulated McConnell and said he looked forward to working with him as the next majority leader.
Republicans picked up seats in territory all over the country Tuesday night. In Montana, Republican Steve Daines was projected to defeat Democrat Amanda Curtis, flipping control of the seat to the Republican Party for the first time since 1913. In Colorado, GOP Rep. Cory Gardner was projected to oust first-term Democratic Sen. Mark Udall, one of the most closely watched contests in this election cycle.
Fox News projects that South Dakota Republican Mike Rounds will win the race to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson. Further, GOP Rep. Tom Cotton will unseat two-term Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor in Arkansas and Shelley Moore Capito will beat Democrat Natalie Tennant for an open Senate seat in West Virginia, Fox News projects.
In a vital set of victories, Republicans also held onto all three seats that were in contention this year.
In Kentucky, McConnell defeated Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes, Kentucky's secretary of state. Fox News projects that Republican David Perdue, former CEO of Dollar General, will beat Democrat Michelle Nunn for the open Georgia Senate seat; and three-term Republican Sen. Pat Roberts will survive the political scare of his life by beating independent challenger Greg Orman in Kansas.
In a setback for Republicans, Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen beat Republican challenger Scott Brown, despite Brown's late-surging campaign.
But Republicans' momentum was undeniable.
A handful of other races remain too close to call -- most notably, in Virginia, where Republican Ed Gillespie is running a late-surging campaign against Democratic Sen. Mark Warner.
According to Fox News exit polls, this race is looking much closer than it did in pre-election polling, in which Warner, a former Virginia governor, held a months-long, 20-point lead over Gillespie, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee. Gillespie eventually cut that lead in half, but the race now appears even closer.
Polls in Alaska also have not yet closed.
Fox News, though, can project that the Louisiana Senate race will go to a runoff on Dec. 6, meaning there will be no winner Tuesday night. Based on exit polling, Fox projects that three-term Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu and Republican challenger Bill Cassidy will both fail to exceed 50 percent of the vote, sending both into a runoff, this time without competition from candidates such as Republican Rob Maness.
At stake Tuesday night were 435 House seats, 36 Senate seats, and another 36 gubernatorial races.
The U.S. Senate battle, with control of Capitol Hill at stake, was the most closely watched.
Fox News also projects that the following Republican incumbents will win: Sen. Thad Cochran in Mississippi; Sen. Lamar Alexander in Tennessee; Sen. Susan Collins in Maine; Sen. Mike Enzi in Wyoming; Sen. Lindsey Graham and Sen. Tim Scott in South Carolina; Sen. Jim Risch in Idaho; Sen. John Cornyn in Texas, Sen. Jeff Sessions in Alabama; and Sen. James Inhofe in Oklahoma. Fox News also can project that Republican James Lankford will win the seat being vacated by Republican Tom Coburn, and serve out the remaining two years of his term.
Fox News projects university president Ben Sasse, a Republican, will beat Democrat David Domina for an open Nebraska Senate seat.
Fox News can project, based on exit polling, that the following Democratic senators will win: Sen. Dick Durbin in Illinois; Sen. Cory Booker in New Jersey; Sen. Brian Schatz in Hawaii; Sen. Jeff Merkley in Oregon; Sen. Tom Udall in New Mexico; Sen. Al Franken in Minnesota; Sen. Ed Markey in Massachusetts; Sen. Chris Coons in Delaware; and Sen. Jack Reed in Rhode Island.
In Michigan, Democrat Gary Peters is projected to win an open seat.
The Obama factor may have weighed heavily over the vote Tuesday night. Fox News Exit Polls show more than a third of voters -- 34 percent -- said they voted to show they're opposed to Obama's policies. That number was a bit higher in 2010.
By contrast, just 20 percent voted to show support for Obama. Forty-five percent said it was not a factor.
The economy is by far the biggest issue for voters; 43 percent said it was the most important issue. Of those worried about the direction of the economy, they voted for the Republican candidate by a 20-point difference, exit polls show.
Most the campaigning and the big money in recent months have concentrated on roughly 10 competitive contests. Seven were for seats held by Democrats: in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, New Hampshire and North Carolina. Three were for seats held by Republicans: in Georgia, Kansas and Kentucky.
Surprise developments colored the elections in several states -- most notably, the Democratic candidate's decision to drop out of the race for Senate in Kansas. His decision immediately boosted independent Orman in his race against Roberts, who until that race shakeup was leading in the polls. Roberts ultimately survived.
In Kentucky, Grimes also suffered a PR blow after she repeatedly refused to say whether she voted for Obama. In the final days of the race, both campaigns turned to accusing each other of putting out inappropriate mailers.
At the state level, nearly a dozen U.S. governors are considered in political peril, making it one of the toughest years for incumbent governors in decades.
Oh Happy Day-Edwin Hawkins Singers
Republicans take Senate majority, Fox News projects
Republicans have won a majority in the Senate for the first time in eight years, Fox News projects, giving the party full control of Congress for the remainder of President Obama's term.
Republicans notched a string of victories across the country, retaining every one of the GOP-held seats up for grabs and picking up more than the six seats needed to take control of the Senate.
So far, Republicans have gained seven Senate seats. In North Carolina, Fox News can project that Thom Tillis, a Republican member of the state legislature, will oust U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, a first-term Democrat, in a closely fought race that saw spending top $100 million.
Republican Joni Ernst is also projected to beat Democrat Bruce Braley in Iowa.
Republicans enjoyed a banner night after mounting campaigns from coast to coast that, almost without exception, sought to cast their opponents as rubber stamps for the unpopular president. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who fended off a Democratic challenge in Kentucky, is now poised to ascend to majority leader next year.
Republicans also are projected to retain control of the House -- and gain about 10 seats, reversing some of the losses the GOP experienced in 2012 and restoring the party to a majority similar to its historic victory of 2010.
The landscape means Republicans will have new powers to challenge Obama's agenda in the final two years of his term, able to launch investigations and hold hearings from both chambers; hold up key appointments; and pass GOP-favored legislation, if only to force the president to employ his veto pen. The division of power also could yield areas of agreement, on areas ranging from immigration to energy -- though the Affordable Care Act and efforts to undermine it could continue to sour talks on other issues.
McConnell, after winning his own race, said some things won't change next year -- but stressed that lawmakers and the White House don't have to be in "perpetual conflict" and "have an obligation to work together."
"Tomorrow, the papers will say I won this race, but the truth is ... tonight we begin another one, one that's far more important than mine -- and that's the race to turn this country around," McConnell said in Louisville.
In a written statement, current Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid congratulated McConnell and said he looked forward to working with him as the next majority leader.
Republicans picked up seats in territory all over the country Tuesday night. In Montana, Republican Steve Daines was projected to defeat Democrat Amanda Curtis, flipping control of the seat to the Republican Party for the first time since 1913. In Colorado, GOP Rep. Cory Gardner was projected to oust first-term Democratic Sen. Mark Udall, one of the most closely watched contests in this election cycle.
Fox News projects that South Dakota Republican Mike Rounds will win the race to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson. Further, GOP Rep. Tom Cotton will unseat two-term Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor in Arkansas and Shelley Moore Capito will beat Democrat Natalie Tennant for an open Senate seat in West Virginia, Fox News projects.
In a vital set of victories, Republicans also held onto all three seats that were in contention this year.
In Kentucky, McConnell defeated Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes, Kentucky's secretary of state. Fox News projects that Republican David Perdue, former CEO of Dollar General, will beat Democrat Michelle Nunn for the open Georgia Senate seat; and three-term Republican Sen. Pat Roberts will survive the political scare of his life by beating independent challenger Greg Orman in Kansas.
In a setback for Republicans, Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen beat Republican challenger Scott Brown, despite Brown's late-surging campaign.
But Republicans' momentum was undeniable.
A handful of other races remain too close to call -- most notably, in Virginia, where Republican Ed Gillespie is running a late-surging campaign against Democratic Sen. Mark Warner.
According to Fox News exit polls, this race is looking much closer than it did in pre-election polling, in which Warner, a former Virginia governor, held a months-long, 20-point lead over Gillespie, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee. Gillespie eventually cut that lead in half, but the race now appears even closer.
Polls in Alaska also have not yet closed.
Fox News, though, can project that the Louisiana Senate race will go to a runoff on Dec. 6, meaning there will be no winner Tuesday night. Based on exit polling, Fox projects that three-term Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu and Republican challenger Bill Cassidy will both fail to exceed 50 percent of the vote, sending both into a runoff, this time without competition from candidates such as Republican Rob Maness.
At stake Tuesday night were 435 House seats, 36 Senate seats, and another 36 gubernatorial races.
The U.S. Senate battle, with control of Capitol Hill at stake, was the most closely watched.
Fox News also projects that the following Republican incumbents will win: Sen. Thad Cochran in Mississippi; Sen. Lamar Alexander in Tennessee; Sen. Susan Collins in Maine; Sen. Mike Enzi in Wyoming; Sen. Lindsey Graham and Sen. Tim Scott in South Carolina; Sen. Jim Risch in Idaho; Sen. John Cornyn in Texas, Sen. Jeff Sessions in Alabama; and Sen. James Inhofe in Oklahoma. Fox News also can project that Republican James Lankford will win the seat being vacated by Republican Tom Coburn, and serve out the remaining two years of his term.
Fox News projects university president Ben Sasse, a Republican, will beat Democrat David Domina for an open Nebraska Senate seat.
Fox News can project, based on exit polling, that the following Democratic senators will win: Sen. Dick Durbin in Illinois; Sen. Cory Booker in New Jersey; Sen. Brian Schatz in Hawaii; Sen. Jeff Merkley in Oregon; Sen. Tom Udall in New Mexico; Sen. Al Franken in Minnesota; Sen. Ed Markey in Massachusetts; Sen. Chris Coons in Delaware; and Sen. Jack Reed in Rhode Island.
In Michigan, Democrat Gary Peters is projected to win an open seat.
The Obama factor may have weighed heavily over the vote Tuesday night. Fox News Exit Polls show more than a third of voters -- 34 percent -- said they voted to show they're opposed to Obama's policies. That number was a bit higher in 2010.
By contrast, just 20 percent voted to show support for Obama. Forty-five percent said it was not a factor.
The economy is by far the biggest issue for voters; 43 percent said it was the most important issue. Of those worried about the direction of the economy, they voted for the Republican candidate by a 20-point difference, exit polls show.
Most the campaigning and the big money in recent months have concentrated on roughly 10 competitive contests. Seven were for seats held by Democrats: in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, New Hampshire and North Carolina. Three were for seats held by Republicans: in Georgia, Kansas and Kentucky.
Surprise developments colored the elections in several states -- most notably, the Democratic candidate's decision to drop out of the race for Senate in Kansas. His decision immediately boosted independent Orman in his race against Roberts, who until that race shakeup was leading in the polls. Roberts ultimately survived.
In Kentucky, Grimes also suffered a PR blow after she repeatedly refused to say whether she voted for Obama. In the final days of the race, both campaigns turned to accusing each other of putting out inappropriate mailers.
At the state level, nearly a dozen U.S. governors are considered in political peril, making it one of the toughest years for incumbent governors in decades.
Oh Happy Day-Edwin Hawkins Singers