Tuesday’s elections amounted to nothing less than a trouncing of Democrats on the national stage. Prognosticators reached a consensus that Republicans stood to capture the Senate, but with David Perdue’s regulation time victory in Georgia and Thom Tillis’ upset win against Kay Hagan in North Carolina, the GOP was able to claim victory early and often. They could possess 54 Senate seats by the time all of the votes are counted and a Louisiana runoff is completed, representing a nine-seat gain — the sort of emphatic victory that has eluded Senate Republican hopefuls in recent years.
But Democrats clung to the possibility that they could hold — and even gain — significant ground in governorships across the country, with key 2016 surrogates and possible White House hopefuls on the ropes. Deny them office, and the donkeys could’ve kicked back.
Turns out their hooves were tied.
Gov. Scott Walker, a much-rumored presidential candidate and very embodiment of a political survivor, cruised past challenger Mary Burke in Wisconsin by more than 125,000 votes. Rick Scott, a vulnerable chief executive in a large, must-win state in presidential elections, fended off a challenge from high-profile ex-governor Charlie Crist. Wendy Davis wanted to turn Texans into a bunch of blues and wound up singing them instead.
That’s where Republicans held serve. They broke in a number of toss-up states that cemented GOP influence in governments across the country.
Perhaps none was more jarring than Larry Hogan’s nine-point demolition of Democratic Lieutenant Gov. Anthony Brown in deep-blue Maryland. Brown has been second in command to Martin O’Malley, a potential White House challenger and inspiration for a character from “The Wire.” So much for that.
The Illinois governorship, whose hands seem to be perpetually stained, changed again, with Republican Bruce Rauner kicking Pat Quinn out of office by a comfortable five-point margin.
Hear the name “Charlie Baker” and think “that sounds like an all-American candidate.” That Republican won a governor’s race, too — in Massachusetts.
Paul LePage won in presidentially-blue Maine. So did incumbent Rick Snyder in Michigan. The only GOP loss in competitive races was in Pennsylvania, a defeat they made up for by dominating in close contests in other states.
RealClearPolitics rated 14 governors races as “toss ups” heading into Tuesday. The Republicans have won nine of them. The Democrats have won only won two. Three remain undecided.
Not bad.
