Battle for the 111th Congress and Campaigns in the States
revised July 2, 2009
U.S. Senate  |  U.S. House  |  Governors  |  Results

Senate: Heading into Nov. 2008 the U.S. Senate was very closely divided (
49D, 49R, 2I), although the two Independents, Lieberman (CT) and Sanders (VT) generally aligned with the Democrats.  Twenty-three of the 35 seats up were either held by Republicans or Republican open seats, and there was some talk among Democrats about the possibility of obtaining a veto-proof majority of 60 votes.  Democrats picked up open seats in CO, NM and VA and defeated incumbent Republican Senators in AK, NH, NC and OR.  The outcome in MN remained undetermined until June 30, 2009 when Norm Coleman (R) conceded to Al Franken (D).  Franken's win together with Arlen Specter's announcement on April 28, 2009 that he would run as a Democrat in 2010 gave the Democrats the magic 60 (58 plus the 2I).

House: In the U.S. House the balance was 235D, 199R, 1v (the passing of Rep. Tubb Jones on Aug. 20).  There were 32 open seats due to retirements, of which 26 were held by Republicans and six by Democrats; additionally, four incumbents (3 Republicans, 1 Democrat) were defeated in the primaries.  In the general election 14 Republican incumbents and five Democratic incumbents were defeated. 
Democrats kept all six of the open seats they had held.  The freshman class for the 111th Congress has 54 members (32 Democrats, 22 Republicans) as well two new non-voting delegates. 

Governorships: Eleven state governorships were up as well that of Puerto Rico.  Stateside, four incumbents from each party were seeking re-election and all were re-elected.  There were three open seats; Democrats won all three, holding DE and NC and picking up MO.  This gives Democrats 29 governorships to 21 for the Republicans.

State Legislatures: According to the National Conference of State Legislatures,
more than 75 percent of state legislative seats were up for election.  Democrats gained control of the DE House, NV Senate, NY Senate, OH House and WI House chambers as well as a tie in the AK Senate; Republicans gained the MT Senate, OK Senate and TN House and Senate chambers.  Democrats kept control in a majority of legislatures, 27 to 14 for the Republicans and 8 divided.  Overall Democrats held the majority of chambers 60 to 37 for the Republicans and 1 tied, and Democrats also increased their numbers of both House and Senate seats.

Senate
D
R
I
v

House
D
R
I
v
Pre-Election
1971 1016 902 52 1   5411 2978 2408 18 7
Post-Election
  "
1024
890
52
5

  "
3051
2342
17
1
(Source NCSL)

Ballot Measures: According to the NCSL there were 153 statewide ballot measures on the November 4 ballot.

New Members for 2009
U.S. Senate (10*)
U.S. House (54)
AK - Mark Begich (D) d. Sen. Ted Stevens (R)  +

CO - Mark Udall (D) d. Bob Schaffer (R)   [Allard (R) seat]  
+

ID - Jim Risch (R) d. Larry LaRocco (D)   [Craig (R) seat]

NE - Mike Johanns (R) d. Scott Kleeb (D)   [Hagel (R) seat]

NH - Jeanne Shaheen (D) d. Sen. John Sununu (R)  
+

NM - Tom Udall (D) d. Steve Pearce (R)   [Domenici (R) seat]  
+

NC - Kay Hagen (D) d. Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R)  
+

OR - Jeff Merkley (D) d. Sen. Gordon Smith (R)  
+

VA - Mark Warner (D) d. Jim Gilmore (R)   [Warner (R) seat]  
+

MN - Al Franken (D) d. Sen. Norm Coleman (R)  +
*outcome not determined until June 30, 2009

and 4 appointed by governors:
CO -
Michael Bennet (D) to fill Salazar (D) seat
DE - Ted Kauffman (D) to fill Biden (D) seat
IL - Roland Burris (D) to fill Obama (D) seat
NY - Kirsten Gillibrand (D) to fill Clinton (D) seat
AL-2 - Bobby Bright (D) d. Jay Love (R)    [Everett (R) seat]   +
AL-5 - Parker Griffith (D) d. Wayne Parker (R)    [Cramer (D) seat]

AZ-1 - Ann Kirkpatrick (D) d. Sydney Hay (R)    [Renzi (R) seat]  
+

CA-4 - Tom McClintock (R) d. Charlie Brown (D)    [Doolittle (R) seat]
CA-52 - Duncan Hunter (R) d. Mike Lumpkin (D)    [Hunter (R) seat]

CO-2 - Jared Polis (D) d. Scott Starin (R)    [Udall (D) seat]
CO-4 - Betsy Markey (D) d. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R)
   +
CO-6 - Mike Coffman (R) d. Hank Eng (D)    [Tancredo (R) seat]

CT-4 - Jim Himes (D) d. Rep. Chris Shays (R)
   +

FL-8 - Alan Grayson (D) d. Rep. Ric Keller (R)
   +
FL-15 - Bill Posey (R) d. Stephen Blythe (D)    [Weldon (R) seat]
FL-16 - Tom Rooney (R) d. Rep. Tim Mahoney (D)
   +
FL-24 - Suzanne Kosmas (D) d. Rep. Tom Feeney (R)   +

ID-1 - Walt Minnick (D) d. Rep. Bill Sali (R)
   +

IL-11 - Debbie Halvorson (D) d. Marty Ozinga (R)   [Weller (R) seat]
   +
IL-18 - Aaron Schock (R) d. Colleeen Callahan (D)    [LaHood (R) seat]

KS-2 - Lynn Jenkins (R) d. Rep. Nancy Boyda (D)
   +

KY-2 - S. Brett Guthrie (R) d. David Boswell (D)    [Lewis (R) seat]

LA-1 - Bill Cassidy (R) d. Rep. Don Cazayoux (D)   +
LA-2 - Anh "Joseph" Cao (R) d. Rep. William Jefferson (D)   +
LA-4 - John Fleming (R) d. Paul Carmouche (D)    [McCrery (R) seat]

ME-1 - Chellie Pingree (D) d. Charles Summers (R)    [Allen (D) seat]

MD-1 - Frank Kratovil (D) d. Andy Harris (R)    [Gilchrest (R) primary]
   +
(MD-4 - Albert Wynn (D) lost primary and resigned; Donna Edwards elected June 17 special election)

MI-7 - Mark Schauer (D) d. Rep. Tim Walberg (R)
   +
MI-9 - Gary Peters (D) d. Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R)   +

MN-3 - Erik Paulsen (R) d. Ashwin Madia (D)    [Ramsted (R) seat]

MO-9 - Blaine Luetkemeyer (R) d. Judy Baker (D)    [Hulshof (R) seat]

MS-3 - Greg Harper (R) d. Joel L. Gill (D)    [Pickering (R) seat]


NV-3 - Dina Titus (D) d. Rep. Jon Porter (R)   +

NJ-3 - John Adler (D) d. Chris Myers (R)    [Saxton (R) seat]
NJ-7 - Leonard Lance (R) d. Linda Stender (D)    [Ferguson (R) seat]

NM-1 - Martin Heinrich (D) d. Darren White (R)    [Wilson (R) seat]   +
NM-2 - Harry Teague (D) d. Ed Tinsley (R)    [Pearce (R) seat]   +
NM-3 - Ben Ray Lujan (D) d. Dan East (R)/Carol Miller (I)    [Udall (D) seat]

NY-13 - Michael McMahon (D) d. Bob Straniere (R)   [Fossella (R) seat]
   +
NY-21 - Paul Tonko (D) d. Jim Buhrmaster (R)   [McNulty (D) seat]
NY-25 - Dan Maffei (D) d. Dale Sweetland (R)    [Walsh (R) seat]
   +
NY-26 - Chris Lee (R) d. Alice Kryzan (D)    [Reynolds (R) seat]
NY-29 - Eric Massa (D) d. Rep. J.R. Kuhl (R)
   +

NC-8 - Larry Kissel (D) d. Rep. Robin Hayes (R)
   +

OH-1 - Steve Driehaus (D) d. Rep. Steve Chabot (R)
   +
OH-7 - Steve Austria (R) d. Sharen Neuhardt (D)   [Hobson (R) seat]
OH-15 - Mary Jo Kilroy (D) d. Steve Stivers (R)    [Pryce (R) seat]
   +
OH-16 - John Boccieri (D) d. Kirk Schuring (R)    [Regula (R) seat]   +

OR-5 - Kurt Schrader (D) d. Mike Erickson (R)    [Hooley (D) seat]

PA-3 - Kathy Dahlkemper (D) d. Rep. Phil English (R)
   +
PA-5 - Glenn Thompson (R) d. Mark McCraken (D)    [Peterson (R) seat]

TN-1 - Phil Roe (R) d. Rob Russell (D)    [Davis (R) primary]

TX-22 - Pete Olson (R) d. Rep. Nick Lampson (D)
   +

UT-3 - Jason Chaffetz (R) d. Bennion Spencer (D)    [Cannon (R) primary]

VA-2 - Glenn Nye (D) d. Rep. Thelma Drake (R)
   +
VA-5 - Tom Perriello (D) d. Rep. Virgil Goode (R)   +
VA-11 - Gerry Connolly (D) d. Keith Fimian (R)    [Davis (R) seat]   +

WY  - Cynthia Lummis (R) d. Gary Trauner (D)    [Cubin (R) seat]

[OH-11 - Marcia Fudge (D)    [Tubbs Jones (D) seat] elected in special election; served in 110th Congress]

and post-election:
IL-5 - special March 3/April 7 - Mike Quigley (D)    [Emanuel (D) seat
-resigned Jan. 3]
NY-20 - special March 31 - Scott Murphy (D)    [Gillibrand (D) seat-appointed to Senate Jan. 23]
CA-32 - special May 19/July 14 -   [Solis (D) seat-resigned Feb. 24]
CA-10     [Tauscher (D) seat-State Department appointment pending]

Defeated Incumbents
AK-Sen. Ted Stevens (R)
NH-Sen. John Sununu (R)
NC-Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R)
OR-Sen. Gordon Smith (R)

CO-4 - Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R)   ...Betsy Markey (D)
CT-4 - Rep. Chris Shays (R)   ...Jim Himes (D)
FL-8 - Rep. Ric Keller (R)   ...Alan Grayson (D)
FL-24 - Rep. Tom Feeney (R)   ...Suzanne Kosmas (D)
ID-1 - Rep. Bill Sali (R)   ...Walt Minnick (D)
MI-7 - Rep. Tim Walberg (R)   ...Mark Schauer (D)
MI-9 - Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R)   ...Gary Peters (D)
NV-3 - Rep. Jon Porter (R)   ...Dina Titus (D)
NY-29 - Rep. J.R. Kuhl (R)   ...Eric Massa (D)
NC-8 - Rep. Robin Hayes (R)   ...Larry Kissel (D)
OH-1 - Rep. Steve Chabot (R)   ...Steve Driehaus (D)
PA-3 - Rep. Phil English (R)   ...Kathy Dahlkemper (D)
VA-2 - Rep. Thelma Drake (R)   ...Glenn Nye (D)
VA-5 - Rep. Virgil Goode (R)   ...Tom Perriello (D)

Primaries
MD-1 - Wayne Gilchrest (R)  
...Andy Harris (R)
TN-1 - Danny Davis (R)   ...Phil Roe (R)
UT-3 - Chris Cannon (R)   ...Jason Chaffetz (R)

FL-16 - Rep. Tim Mahoney (D)   ...Tom Rooney (R)
KS-2 - Rep. Nancy Boyda (D)   ...Lynn Jenkins (R)
LA-1 - Rep. Don Cazayoux (D)   ...Bill Cassidy (R)
LA-2 - Rep. William Jefferson (D)   ...Anh "Joseph" Cao (R)
TX-22 - Rep. Nick Lampson (D)   ...Pete Olson (R)

Primaries
MD-4 - Albert Wynn (D)  
...Donna Edwards (D)



See also: 2006 mid-term elections

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Copyright © 2008, 2009  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action