ELECTION NIGHT, SECOND THREAD…. Because the first thread left so many unanswered questions.
8:01: Marco Rubio (R) has won the three-way Senate contest in Florida, but for all intents and purposes, this race was over weeks ago.
8:02: The networks are calling Delaware’s U.S. race for Chris Coons (D).
8:04: Looks like Kelly Ayotte (R) has won Judd Gregg’s Senate seat in New Hampshire. Remember a year ago when this looked like a Dem pick-up?
8:07: AP is calling Maryland’s Senate race for Barbara Mikulski (D) and Alabama’s Senate race for Richard Shelby (R). Neither race was expected to be competitive, and neither race was competitive.
8:10: Here’s an interesting one — John Carney (D) appears set to win Mike Castle’s (R) U.S. House seat in Delaware. The GOP hoped to keep it, but as with the Senate race in Delaware, the party base backed the fringe candidate in the primary.
8:12: AP is calling New Hampshire’s gubernatorial race for incumbent Gov. John Lynch (D). This wasn’t a gimmie, and Dems in the state have reason to be relieved with the outcome.
8:14: Sen. Johnny Isakson (R) wins re-election in Georgia. Another one of the night’s non-competitive races.
8:16: Have any of the networks offered Christine O’Donnell her own show yet? Just wondering.
8:19: CBS is saying Rep. Tom Perriello (D) lost in Virginia’s 5th. That’s not a huge surprise, but Perriello is a first-class mensch, and I’m genuinely sorry to see him go.
8:22: Rick Snyder (R) appears to have won Michigan’s gubernatorial race fairly easily. GOP will be thrilled, but by Republican standards, the guy really isn’t a fire-breathing wingnut.
8:25: Everyone’s calling for North Carolina’s Senate race for incumbent Richard Burr (R). If this weren’t such a strong GOP year, this was a race that could have gone the other way — Burr just isn’t especially well liked in N.C.
8:27: As Republicans position themselves to win the House, they’re going to start winning some key targets. Here’s a big one: Sandy Adams (R) appears to have defeated Rep. Suzanne Kosmas (D) in Florida’s 24th.
8:31: Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) lost in Arkansas. She’s the fist incumbent senator to lose, and her seat is the second to flip from “blue” to “red” tonight.
8:34: Several outlets are calling Connecticut’s U.S. Senate race for Richard Blumenthal (D), over wrestling executive Linda McMahon (R). Not too long ago, Dems were really sweating this one.
8:36: Some Florida outlets are saying Rep. Alan Grayson (D) lost. No word just yet from national outlets.
8:39: The road to the GOP takeover of the House is going through Virginia. Not only did Perriello lose, which was largely expected, but Reps. Glenn Nye (D) and Rick Boucher (D) have also apparently lost, and that wasn’t expected.
8:41: Several outlets are calling West Virginia’s U.S. Senate race for Gov. Joe Manchin (D). If that holds true, it’s pretty tough to see how Republicans re-take the Senate tonight.
8:44: Remember, two years ago, when it seemed reasonable to include Virginia in the list of “purple” states? Yeah, we should stop doing that now.
8:45: Grayson has conceded in Florida.
8:46: Beginning to think that “hicky” ad was the most consequential spot of the entire cycle.
8:50: Arkansas has quickly become a very “red” state, but it nevertheless re-elected incumbent Gov. Mike Beebe (D) without much of a fuss.
8:53: The AP is saying Sen. Tom Coburn (R) has won another term in Oklahoma. Since I’d kind of forgotten he was even up for re-election this year, I’ll put in the “not a surprise” category.
8:56: It appears that Indiana Blue Dog Baron Hill (D) has lost re-election in Indiana. While he was a narrow underdog for re-election, he appears to be getting trounced, which would appear to be a bad sign for Democratic efforts overall. (Indiana’s 9th is one of those “bellwether” districts.)
8:59: Former congressman-turned-felon Jim Traficant worked hard to get on the ballot in Ohio, but he won’t be “beamed” back to Congress. I’m glad.
