Democrats to Win Control of the House

To take control of Congress, Democrats need to gain 15 seats in the Senate and 6 in the House. As the numbers are starting to show, it is looking very likely that Democrats will take control of at least one of the two branches of Congress.

Democrat gains in the Senate:

+ Pennsylvania
+ Ohio
+ Rhode Island

Democrat losses in the Senate:

- Connecticut (Lieberman)*

Democrat gains in the House:

+ Indiana #8
+ Kentucky #3
+ Indiana #2
+ Vermont #1
+ New Hampshire #2
+ Ohio #18
+ Pennsylvania #7
+ North Carolina #11
+ Arizona #8
+ Pennsylvania #10
+ Florida #16**
+ Connecticut #5
+ Florida #22
+ Indiana #9
+ New York #19***
+ New York #20

* Lieberman, who was a Democrat defeated in his primary, has won reelection as an Independent, though he says he will still caucus with the Democrats. Though his seat will no longer contribute to a Democrat majority in the Senate, it will help them push their agenda.

** Leading by only 1%, or 2,250 votes, with 91% of the precincts reporting, this could possibly (though not likely) fall the other way.

*** Democrat challenger leads by 2% with 84% reporting.

I've been giving this some thought this evening. I originally stressed how important it is for the Republicans to retain control of Congress this year in case a Democrat takes the White House in 2008. What I neglected to consider is this: in 2008, one-third of the Senate will be up for re-election again, as well as the entire House of Representatives. Should the Democrats take control of one or both chambers of Congress, they will have the next two years to prove to American voters that we NEED a Republican controlled Congress, and American voters will once again have the opportunity to swing the balance of power back. Maybe it's not as dark a day as I originally feared.

Joe
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