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Republicans have their first Senate pickup of the night. Dan Coats was called the winner of the Indiana Senate race as soon as the polls closed across the state. Coats, a former Senator, will replace Evan Bayh. He defeated Rep. Brad Ellsworth in a race that was basically never in doubt.
In addition, MSNBC called Rand Paul the winner of the Kentucky Senate race at the top of the hour. Paul was thought to be in a tighter race in Kentucky with Jack Conway, but in recent weeks Conway fell behind, some charge because of the “Aqua Buddha” ad that supposedly attacked Paul’s religion. Regardless, Rand Paul is headed to the Senate.
Somehow, Jim DeMint defeated Alvin Greene in South Carolina. Pat Leahy won in Vermont, too.
MSNBC determines that the GA-Sen race between Johnny Isakson and Michael Thurmond is “too early to call.” I suspect that will wrap up shortly. But it’s a little surprising that Thurmond is hanging in there more than Jack Conway did.
In other news, Republican pollster Frank Luntz said that Harry Reid would eke it out in Nevada.
22 Comments
I suppose I should be used to this by now, but how do they call an election as soon as the polls close? Nothing has been counted or reported by election officials, right?
Is this on exit polling?
(I guess I’m clinging to the slim hope that Rand Paul won’t be in the Senate next year)
Harry Reid, Teflon Twerp?
Somehow DeMint beat Greene?
hoocoodanode!
Oh yeah! We have Rand Paul to kick around for 6 years.
I’d like to think my GOTV for Conway made a difference.
Definitely had good call lists, over 80% of calls were certain to vote for Conway.
The DSCC and DNC totally failed the people of SC. And they missed a real opportunity. Did they deliberately throw this fight?
I’ll be interested to see the percentages. DeMint only had a 38% margin in Nate Silver’s forecast.
Yawn. In one of the bigger surprises of the day (not), Harold Ford sez lesson Ds should learn from defeat is go right, by extending W tax cuts.
Surprising that Luntz thinks Reid will win when the polling has suggested otherwise. But Luntz has been hot and cold on Angle all year. Report is that turnout is very low and that could benefit Reid who has a better GOTV operation.
As I understand it, they didn’t throw this fight. Finding a candidate willing to take on DeMint was a problem. When they found one, his campaign’s decision was to save his money for the general thinking that his opposition was inconsequential. Alvin Greene seems legitimately to have financed his own filing fee; now he’s out $10,400. And there was such low information (because the other candidate did not go high profile) that ballot order, random selection, and the perception that Green(e) was black combined to cause him to win the primary.
The problem in South Carolina is that after a decade and a half of being shellacked by the GOP, they don’t have a strong bench or strong local organizations. This election is strengthening them, ironically as a result of the SC Chamber of Commerce endorsing the Democratic candidate for Governor. The key race is to see whether John Spratt survives.
anyone know how russ is doing on exit polls?
How’s turnout in your necks of the woods, folks?
I took off from work 40 min early to miss the after-five crowd – but not sure there will be one. There’s usually a before-work crowd, but the poll worker taking my voter info said the current line was the longest of the day….four people ahead of me, 3 booths in use. She said it was steady, but not heavy, through the day.
I’m in San Antonio, for those who don’t know; poll is in the heart of a very affluent, well-educated inner suburb.
We had a long ballot – mostly judgeships. I voted for a few R’s that I know have been good judges, but mostly D’s (having once practiced law here, I do actually know some of them). I always worry about the judges’ races, because most people know nothing about the candidates.
There’s two former judges running again thisyear, after more than ten years out of office – I’m guessing they figured the Repub wave was their chance. IMHO, they were both terrible judges, but I fear they will win. I’m very glad I will not have to appear in their courtrooms this time around.
Sigh. It’s not a very cheerful day. I should be heading out for yoga, but can’t seem to get myself moving. Eating bargain post-Halloween chocolate candy, instead.
Herald-Leader
November 02, 2010 – 07:27PM ET
U.S. House – District 6 – General
Kentucky – 353 of 640 Precincts Reporting – 55%
Name Party Votes Vote %
Chandler , Ben (i) Dem 61,052 53%
Barr , Andy GOP 53,857 47%
But of course!
Maybe they thought the election was on Wednesday.
Thank you so much for explaining that situation. Usually, when it looks that bad, I’d just assume that Democrats were being Democrats. This one seemed particularly fishy, though. Hopefully you’re right about the future.
Anyone here anything yet about SC-2, Joe “You Lie!” Wilson vs. Rob Miller?
In a curious way Joe Miller was right. Obama does lie.
Don’t look for “aquabuddha” excuses; the left blogosphere is out of touch with America (FDL excluded).
What Wilson meant and what you mean are two very different things. And, yes, Obama does lie. It’s just done wonders for him politically, too.
Of course, total corporatist and individually ambitious to be part of the power-rich-elite, Harold Ford would say that.
Just curious really – according to you, how is firedoglake exempt, or were you being pro-forma polite?
Just for the record- as a Vermonter- we do not get rid of incumbents unless they royally screw up. Leahy was the winner of this race without any thought about it. I voted for him- and heck, he’s been in office since before I was born!